The Church Militant :: :: University of Virginia Library

Next to the Greekes the Latine Scribes begin,
Idolaters unto Christs Church to win.
Romes Tyrants fret, and Saints they martirize.
Saint Anthony into a Desart flyes.

Within this Age the Church most Militant
And Cautious, strove to shun exorbitant
Attempts of Foes; one while to secret Caves
Constrained to retire; sometimes to tame the Braves

Of her owne Tribe, Domesticke Mutineers,
Shee us'd the Spirits Sword; Anon the Jeeres
And Flouting Scoffes of Forrainers to daunt,
Which did at her Poore Robes and Altars taunt,
She fought against Cætilius and his Traine,
And prov'd their Vaunt for Outward Glories vaine.
Her State was then unsetled, New, and Poore,
But Time to come might make her flourish more.
A thousand of such Taunts and Fiery Darts,
A Thousand of great Dangers, Envious Arts,
By Satans Plots she daily underwent,
While Cæsars sought their Pagan-Gods Content.
The neerer that the Church drew to her Time
Of Liberty, least that too high she climbe,
Satan suborn'd his Agents in this Age,
Against her Race to shew their utmost Rage.
He knew her Thraldomes Date to Iohn foretold,
Would shortly end. And that made him so bold.

As otherwhiles a Woman Chast and Faire.
Dishevel'd seemes, or with loose dangling Haire:
So without Art, and in her Native Dresse
The Church at first for want of Time to dresse,
And to compose her Outward Ornament,
Came forth to spread her Saviours Testament,
Not carking much for Superficiall Weare,
But in the Heart the New Mans Gifts to beare;
And yet both Chaste and Faire She comely shone,
With Constant Faith built on the Corner-stone.
And though she liv'd and raign'd of Men unseen
With Carnall Eyes, yet of Good Angels seen,
Heard in the Quire, which to the Lambe belongs,
Answer'd by Saints with Sympathizing Songs,
Nay, seene and knowne of Men Reborne anew
Both then and now, who never kneel'd to Baal,
But to One Christ, the Saviour of us all,
Who by his Word, and bright Diurnall Light,
Hath late disperst the Tempests of the Night,

Sav'd us, like Peter, out of Herods Iayle,
From Babels Powder-traine, for Saints availe.
For which sweet Grace, redintegracious Love,
The Saints on Earth with Those of Heaven above,
United in One League shall ever sing
Melodious Songs to our Triumphant King.

Our Latine West unto the Church of Greece,
Acknowledge must her selfe in some degrees
Inferiour and oblig'd. From her she had the Forme
Of Christian Rites false Altars to reforme,
As she the Substance from Ierusalem,
More neere to Greece then Rome, the Church Supreme,
From her she borrow'd her prime Words of Art,
Those Second coin'd Intentions, to impart
From Man to Man by Termes, Discourse, and Tongue,
What otherwise would dormant lye unstrung.
Her Noblest Name of Christian Catholick,
The Eucharist, the Faith Apostolick,

Types, Symboles, and Ecclesiasticke Lawes,
What be they but Greeke words for Christian Cause
Disguis'd in Latine Robes Faith to expresse?
And to worke on Mild Hearers more or lesse?
The Sev'nty Scribes translated Iewries Ioyes
To the Greeke Tongue by Philadephus Choise.
Saint Paul and Luke divulg'd in Græcian Tone
Christs Mysteries, yea, and Saint Iohn wrought on
His Auditours in Græcian Vestiment,
Fit in that Age to further his Intent.
Greece more to praise, ere Rome saw Christ his Light,
Some Greekes of Philip crav'd his Masters sight.

No marvell then, that Greeks, ere Latiuists
Did publish Workes, fought in our Christian Lists
With Infidells against their Rites obsceane.
Towards the Period of the Second Sceane,
To celebrate this Age, Tertullian rose,
With Tullian Phrase to daunt the Churches Foes,

False Heretickes and Jewes, whom he refells;
And but for Dreaming Fasts his Part excells,
Whilst he 'gainst Marcion makes Christs Body good,
Truths Figure, not Imaginary Food,
Since Figures shew not false, but things indeed.
And in another Place, quoth he, We feed
By Hearing on the Word Incarnate blest,
With Understanding chew, through Faith digest.

Saint Cyprian him succeeds, who famous made
By Monuments, which cannot faile nor fade,
The Churches Union, and the Martyrs Crowne,
Which since himselfe receiv'd in Carthage Towne.
This Saint bids us the Holy Bread to part,
And breake by Faith, not with sharpe Teeth nor Art,
While we confesse: That, which is broke to Parts,
Divine-Humane both God and Man imparts.
Out of his Bookes we cull, at Carthage Towne
How he did fret, and all the Councell frowne

To heare, that any should Romes Pope install,
The Bishop of all Bishops Generall.

Next after him Minucius Fœlix came
In Roman Robes, Cæcilius overcame
With Dialogues, and foil'd his Heath'nish Dreames.
So did Arnobius by the Spirits Beames,
In the like Garbe the Gentiles Rage abate;
And shewes the Cause, why Christians Idolls hate.
By Fabian Bath'd. He grac'd this Centers Age,
Who first of Cæsars wore the Christian Badge.

Long had the Church been rackt with bitter woes,
In travell, like a Woman tir'd with Throes,
To bring that faire Light forth, and Blessed Birth,
Which in th' Elect shines with Harmonious Mirth,
The Inward Man, I meane, whose Praise we sing,
Grac'd to that end with Will by Heavens King.

Through all the Roman Empire tortured,
And by fierce Tyrants hands sore Martyred
In every Age during her Pilgrimage
Heere in this World, untill Maxentius Rage,
Became supprest by zealous Constantine,
She felt what Dioclesian, Maximine,
And what their Prætours could impose of Force
Upon her Limmes without their least remorce
She felt, Christ in his Members felt againe,
What Hangmen could inflict of Hellish Paine,
And what their Predecessors could inflict
Upon her Lambes by Proclamations strict,
(Prefiguring our late New Christian Fry,
Whom men professing Christ in Flames did fry)
And yet they fail'd by their Decrees severe,
Or Wolvish Decius them to daunt with feare,
But that in midst of Paine, by Satan stung,
They to the Lambe Allelujaes sung.
Slighting the Gridiron through the Holy Ghost:
Now chuse thy Flesh, quoth Lawrence, Raw or Rost.

Faire Theodora to the Stewes confin'd,
Her Friend holp her to scape in Masked kind,
Stay'd in her place, He thrall'd, she came againe;
Yet did the Iudge for Martyrs both arraigne,

Mauger all Rackets and Flames Saint Alban here
In Brittaine first, and Noble George appeare,
Who arm'd on Horse-backe with a Sanguine Crosse
Leagu'd Salems Knights, and oft scar'd Englands Foes,
As Ancient Wits conceiv'd their Aiery Signe,
Like that, which meteour'd once to Constantine.
Which Signe they might more fitly to their Head
Impute then with his Members quartered.
Their Crimson Gore transform'd to Robes of White,
By vertue of their Faith Beames-darting-bright.
With Amphibale they live yet in our West,
And with those Twaine, whom of her Martyrs Best,
With sacred Bayes at Vsk Carleons Towne
Saint Aaron, and Saint Iulius still doth Crowne.

Within this Age, like to th' Essences Sect,
Good Men of Life austere did Cells erect
Of Christian Hermites, or Anachorites,
In Ægypts Desarts, there, that Convertites
Might solitaty dwell, from Passions free,
And from those Baites, wherewith we daily see
The greatest Part, ev'n of the Churches Brood,
Ensnar'd (a Mystick Point not understood
By Libertines in these our Carnall Dayes)
There, cloystred up from foule Temptatious stayes
Alone and farre from Mortalls Company
The Holy Saint, the long-liv'd Anthony,
His life sustaining onely by the Fruit
Of one Palmitoe Tree, whose Rind did suit
And cloath his Limmes, as did the Fruit him feed.
His Patterne then good Saint Macarius trac'd,
Whose Presence since the Nicen Councell grac'd,
O happy Types! If Superstition since
For Hypocrites Some came not to convince;

As Savoyes Hermite through Confessions shrow'd,
Since Cuckolded the Best of all the Crowd.

About the end of this Third Century,
When Dioclesians Rage and Butchery
Did persecute the Saints, God raised up
Lactantius to confirme them not to droup,
For now their Time of Liberty drew neere,
Which by Gods Grace did after soone appeare:
For saving Philip, whom Pope Fabian blest,
All Cæsars hitherto Christs Flocke opprest.
The Church as yet fixt on no Constant Formes
Of Government. So grievous were the Stormes
Of Persecution rais'd by Tyrants Rage,
The First three Ages of her Pilgrimage,
That she could not Correct, but now and then,
Judge, nor with Tythes reward Industrious men.
As Lollards were by our Lancastrians curb'd,
And Huguenots in France by Kings disturb'd,

So her aw'd Starres durst scarce a Synod call
By stealth, much lesse a Councell Generall,
Where her Chiefe Watchmen of the Christian Race,
Might Congregate in one convenient Place,
Popes stood not then on high Prerogatives,
Glad oft to flye, to lurke, and save their lives:
But Christians now began to be more bold,
The Time in the Apocalipse foretold,
The two and Forty Monthes being full expir'd
(Monthes counted for Yeares Sabbaths) they aspir'd,
By the Imperiall Leave to settle things
In Order without Gall, or Envious stings,
As shall appeare after Licinius Death.
Meane while Ile rest, so to resume more breath.