University of Virginia Library

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THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE FIFTH AGE,

From the yeere of our Lord 400. untill the yeere 500. At which Time Anastasius Raigned Emperour of Rome.

That Parcell of false Babels Mystery,
Broacht at the End of the last Century
Inhibiting Priests Marriage, in the Rise
Of this New Age returnes to Hell, and dyes.

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For while the Arrians Heat began to slake,
Siricius made Romes Clergies hearts to ake,
When he would them in the last Age constraine,
To live without their Wives in Tantales Paine,
Without their Plightd Mates, whom Christ had joy'nd
As Type of his Church-Mystery, injoyn'd
From Strangers sheets, as well with Holy Seed
To store his Church, as to partake some Meed
For Solace of their Lives anxiety,
While they soil'd not Chast Society,
Like Heathen Men, with Wives Pluralities,
Or haunted Whores in surrepritious wise.
But quickly was this Cloud disperst and gone,
As not by Mortalls to be undergone,
When Wiser Men condemned his Decree,
And prov'd the Marriage State for all men free,
Aswell by Lessons out of Sacred Story,
As Nicens Warrant to Paphnutius Glory,
Who though himselfe had never married been,
Yet he to barre Priests Marriage deem'd it Sinne.

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And so the Councell held at Gangren past,
The like Decree for evermore to last,
That Married Priests might safely Minister,
And who enacted otherwise did erre,
With thundring Doome accursing every Wight,
That dares maintaine that Tenets Opposite.
Saint Nazianzen sung that he was borne,
The third Yeare since his Sire a Priest was sworne.

Though this and other Fire-drakes choake in snuffe,
Yet did not Other Clouds leave off to puffe
And poison Soules. Each One must have his Guard
Of Angels two both Good and Bad, to ward
Or tempt his Soule, that the Sect Manicbee
Might conjure them, but not without a Fee.
To ayde them with Free-will and Merits Charmes,
Pelagius offers now to lend them Armes.
For these two Sects together with the Mists
Breath'd forth by Arrians and the Donatists,

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The World then suff'red condigne Punishments,
In Lives and Fortunes with distracted Rents.

That Ages Church was so with Heresies
Beset, and from the Truth seduc'd with Lies,
That though she fled into a Wildernesse,
To sojourne there safe from their Wickednesse,
And damned Plots, yet did the Dragon spew
A Floud of Filth in hope to blurre her hew.
But missing her he persecutes her Seed,
And seekes by Open Force to slay her Breed,
Which though he fail'd because of his restraint,
Yet he prevai'ld her Luke-warme Race to taint.
For this great Warre he rais'd up Bloudy Foes,
Gothes, Vandalls, Hunnes, all prest at his dispose,
By Rhadagase, Alaricke, Totilas
By Him, whom Ætius foil'd, proud Attilas,
Who had proclaim'd himselfe the Scourge of God,
To chastise Mortalls with an Iron Rod;

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Besides the Vandall Arrian Gensericke,
Who sackt at Austines Death his Bishopricke.
By these whom Rome had sometimes kept in Thrall,
God suff'red Fiends for Sinne to worke Romes Fall,
To let lewd Worldlings know, that when they faile
In Zeale and Love, then Satan will prevaile.
Before these Stormes, when as the Church was like
To perish quite, God grac'd her Catholike
Againe by Meanes of Athanasius Creed,
By Ambrose, Jerome, and good Austines Deed.

Besides those Foure, how many radiant Lamps
Did the Good Spirit raise against the Damps
Of Hellish Fiends in that fam'd Century?
From Gratians Time, till Zenoes Empery?
No Age before nor since hath ever seene
Such Lights to Crowne Theology a Queene,
No Age more wise, more Learned Wits brought forth,
Since the Apostles Time of better Worth

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Then those fore-nam'd, then famous Hillary,
Theodoret, Eusebius, Gregory,
And Basil his deare Mate, then Chrysostomes
Rare Homilies, whose fluent Golden Tomes
Ravish the dullest sence, Or who can share
With Epiphanius? Or for skill compare
With both the Cyrills, or with Emissene?
And Others, who renown'd that Ages Scene?
Extirping Arrians, and the Menichees?
Daunting Donatus, and his Complices?
And striving to keepe downe Pelagians Pride?
Or for a time to stint their swelling Tide,
Which but for them had sooner made the way
For sale of Soules, and Antichristian Sway?
These shone as Starres within the Firmament,
And did then Satan in that Age prevent
From his deep Reach. And we might doe as much,
If next Gods Word upon their Stone we touch
Discreetly without Passion, or selfe-love,
Since Men are prone the worst things to approve

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Tempted by Fiends, which wheele about the Braine,
To misconceive the Right for Worldly Gaine.
Such bred in Errour from their Infancie,
Will hardly see the Truths resplendencie.

So stood where Cæsars raign'd the Churches state:
But now I must looke backe where Belul sate,

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The Southerne Queenes Successour, Sabaes Heire,
Who was Baptiz'd in the Fourth Hundred Yeare.

Long had the Church of th' Equinoctiall Line,
Candaces Clime, since stil'd the Abissine,
Been tost on Nilus Lakes by Mungrell Windes,
Compos'd of Iewish Rites and Heath'nish Mindes.
But not those Stormes allay'd, attonements made,
That Christians might through Circumcision wade,
And each partake of Others Lawes and Love,
Both leagu'd, both vow'd Baptized to approve
The Christian Eunuches Faith by Philip taught,
And long before to Ethiopia brought.
Above Three Hundred Yeares the Gospels Spring
Had cheer'd their parched Zone, and every thing
Began to grow with various faire Encrease
Of Ghostly Gifts and Homilies of Peace
By their Abunaes Care, and Clergies Toyle,
Onely the Great Ones still did them embroyle

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With Carnall Snares to crosse their good Attempts.
Like as the Romaine Cæsars Saints intents
By Tyranny had interrupted long,
Till Constantine redrest the Churches wrong.
So likewise Saints among the Abissines
Were trod upon, or by sore Mulcts and Fines,
Opprest, that some kept close, some fled away,
Some as it were in hugger mugger lay:
Others for feare recanted from the Light,
Dissembling what they knew to be the Right,
As many here gloz'd in Queene Maries dayes,
And some in France with our Reformed wayes;
Untill their Foes were calm'd, and Liberty
Of Conscience sign'd to the New Christian Fry;
About which time Hells Rage became allay'd,
Which for Three Hundred Yeares the Saints oreswayd.

But now on the Approach of this Fifth Age,
By his Grave Counsaile and Abunaes sage.

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The Emperour of Ethiopiaes Land
The Gospel more began to understand,
And rais'd the Christian Faith with Publike vowes,
Yet mixt with Iewish Rites and Levites showes,
And though their Formes appeare extravagant,
In Substance yet their Faith is Protestant,
And little diff'ring from the Primitive
Which we professe. Like Ours their Clergy Wive;
They Minister the Cup unto the Lay;
They honour Saints with a Memoriall way,
But worship not Shrines, nor Imagery,
Lest they might fall to flat Idolatry.
Sound Christians, were it not that they too much
On Moses Lawes the Observation touch:
Or else that they for their Dispense do plead,
That to eate Bacon, Hares-flesh, or the like,
Might make them Leprous, and their Bodies sicke,
Their Climates Sunne diseasing Bloud and Braine:
That what agrees with us procures them Paine.

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Perhaps they ranke their Circumcisions use,
And shrowd it with Indiff'rent things excuse.

Devout they are, when in the Church they meet,
They spit not there, nor come with durty feet.
Their Lent is long, which by their Foes observ'd,
They oft surprize thē through their Feasts halfe starv'd.
Some Ancient Bookes among us lost they hold,
Which they esteeme as Gemmes, more deare then Gold,
The Oracles of Enoch, and the Booke
Of the Apostles Canons they o're-looke,
And the lost Acts of one of Calcedons
Old Councells they retaine like Precious Stones.
The Patriarch still of Alexandriaes Bay
Claymes from Saint Marke their Sacerdotall Sway.
These Negroes here for Christians I assigne,
To shew that Christ his Church doth elsewhere shine,
And that she might grow strong within the South,
When in our West she seem'd a Dwarfe in growth.

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Out of the Christian Church exil'd by Romes
Fierce Cæsars for the Faith some left their Homes,
And fled for shelter to Remoter Climes,
In hope to shun the malice of the Times;
To shun the ten great Persecutions Rage,
Many were forc't their Fortunes to ingage,
Some past the Bosphors Straights, som Gibraltars,
Others retir'd themselves where Sunne-burnt Carres,
Twice yearely touch on both the Hemisperee,
That they might live secur'd from worldly Feares.
The like, whilst that mad Dioclesian rav'd,
Our Brittaines did, and Neighbours succour crav'd,
Who giving them Corporeall Nourishments,
Were by their Guests with Soule-Food recompenc'd.
A Saint-like Bounty, where both Parties Blest
Partake of Love, the Greatest with the Least.)
Among these Nations, now my Muse invites
The Reader to review some Neighbour Lights.

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