The Church Militant :: :: University of Virginia Library

What Heresies sprang up ere Antichrist
Broke from his Swathes into the Church of Christ.
He growes. but not to full maturity,
Till he hath got the Two-fold Soveraignty.

Next to Gods Word, or Oracles Divine,
Contemplating on Matyriz'd Iustine,
Tertullian, Irene, Tatian, Clementine,
Lactantius, Euphreme, Ierome, Origen,
Eusebius, Leo, Cyrill, Nazianzen,

126

On Epiphanius, Basil, Hillary,
Theodoret, Ruffinus, Gregory,
And their more Ancients Cyprian, Chrysostome,
With those of Aff'rick, Asia, Greece or Rome,
Whither they in th' Abissines Libraries,
Or Vaticans immur'd for Antiquaries;
Whether in Print, or Manuscripts they be,
Musing, I say, on them with insight free,
Who wrote within the First Six Hundred Yeare,
Besides the Synods of the Sacred Peeres,
Chiefly at Nice (to sort New-things with Old)
I wish this Post serit set in stamps of Gold:
Those Wits, who can Grave Epiphanius scan,
May helpe to fan Romes Church from the Old Man,
Like Wheat from Chaffe, or Gold from dust and drosse.
I wish this done, but dare not it ingrosse,
Or undertake my wishing to fulfill
Or want of time, of Strength, of Levites skill.

127

Though while proud Cæsars rav'd, some Christians pain'd,
Yet Pliny shewes their state when Trajan raign'd;
Nor could their Rage, nor Victors thundring schisme,
For Easters Rites impeach Faiths Catechisme.
Curst were those Weeds sprung of Idolatries,
Which by Truths Flame Good Epiphanius tries:
And Blest the Flowres, or Herballs of the Fields,
For Quintessence which Epiphanius yeelds.
There, Millenaires, and grosse Monothelites,
With other Clouds dim the First Churches Lights.
There, see wise men then Fire Drakes more unsure,
Yet others there more sure then Cynosure,
Though Origen and Cyprian in some things
Have err'd, yet Saints by Union Calm'd their stings.
While Arrians Rage Chiefe Rulers of the Rost,
The Orthodox proclaime the Holy Ghost.
While Capernaites Christs Flesh most grossely take,
True Saints by Faith that Mystick Food partake.

128

Where Ebionites and Manichees taxe Marriage,
There, Gods Elect dissolves so strict a Carriage.
Where Montanists for Merit Fasts erect
At Times prefixt, there, Saints a snake suspect.
Priscillians teach men to Equivocate,
But Christian Saints all Double-dealing hate.
Caianes Sect did Angels Help implore,
And with fond Vowes their mystick Shapes adore:
As likewise did those doating Heretickes,
Whom some in Austines Time term'd Angellicks.
But Saints Christs Father serve, that Mighty One
In Persons Three, and three in One alone,
Not Creatures, nor the Members, but the Head
Of Creatures Life, the Iudge of Quick and Dead.
All others Help they utterly disclaime,
Save that, which they through Christ his Merits claime.
Some to Our Lady offer'd Sacrifice,
But Epiphane blames them of Heath'nish vice,
Suites Womens Cakes for her Idolatriz'd
With Trash, which to Heav'ns Queen were sacrific'd,

129

Equalls their Deed to that which snared Eve,
Yea, to the Serpents which did Eve deceave,
And likewise teares the Vaile where Christ was painted
Forbidding Dead Mens Pictures to be Sainted;
Wherewith by Letter he upon this Theame,
Acquaints the Bishop of Ierusalem,
Advising him not to endure the like
Scandall, or Crime within his Bishopricke.
This of the Veile at Anablata hung
Was then from Greek turn'd to the Latin Tongue.
Novatus damn'd men after Baptismes Breach,
But no Despairing Fate Mild Christians teach;
They rather will raise up the Bruized Reed,
Then Thunder out what is not in their Creed.

Such Lamps this Holy Worke of Ancient Date
Exemplifies for us to imitate
Such Damps likewise expressed in that Work
May warne th' Elect, where doth the Dragon lurk.

130

There, Heretickes in sundry Formes appeare,
There, Christ his Church you may discerne most cleare,
And how good Christians liv'd in Dayes of Yore,
With what they taught before that Rome turn'd whore,
Or which of Either Church are growne of late
In Faith, or Manners more Adulterate,
There, with some Paines we might gaine knowledge more,
Which Worke I wish, but want the Lydian Lore
To touch, to try the Spirits, and apply
The Extracts to the Moderne Policy.
Let some Grave Elder with Seraphick Love,
Indifferent, Just, and Mild, the Spirits prove.
Let Usher, Hall, or Learned Montague,
My Mate sometimes in Eaton those renew,
Which, if my Mindes presaging Augury
Faile not, will yet to us more Newes discry;
Or if Affaires afford them not the leasure,
To levy, rate, and draw the hidden Treasure,
Some Good Professour of Judicious Braine,
Which wants a Flocke, may undergoe the straine;

131

Or some brave Spirit of our Academes,
Start up to blaze those sacred Theoremes,
Which adding wings to our Reformed Flights,
Would serve to guard our New-born Lambs from Kites
And shew them Gentle Bathes, when to the Brim,
Old Tiber fill'd cause Elephants to swim;
While Honest Swains them greet: God blesse the weak,
And grant they not their Christian vowes do breake,
While Saints doe Saints salute: God speed the Plow,
And make us all content with what we sow.
So that their Seed be pure, full well we know,
They with Increase and Peace shall reap and Mow.
The Harvest great, no doubt but Christ enow
Of Workemen will provide, though I be slow.

I now review another Century:
About the Sev'nth of Christ, the Mystery
Of Ghostly Sinne began to domineere,
And here-hence-out a Pilot false will steere

132

The Churches Ship exalted by his Mace,
Who durst usurpe his Lords Imperiall Place,
Bereaving Him, his Wife, and Babes of Life,
(An Omen sure portending future Strife)
From Phocas first receiv'd Pope Boniface
Investiture of his Supremest Place,
And to be styl'd, The Churches Soveraigne Lord,
Which some have wrested since to Peters Sword,
Which smote off Malchus Eare. In the meane while
Hypocrisie did all the World beguile,
For from the Yeare since Boniface began,
The Dragon wrought upon the Braine of Man,
With more sly Trickes then in the Times before
On Hereticks, or Wits of weaker Lore.
Pope Gregory fore-saw this Mystick Cloud,
And New Romes Patriarch therefore warn'd aloud:
That who aspir'd to be the Soveraigne Priest,
He was fore-runner of False Antichrist.

133

This Gregory fore-told, although himselfe
Had left his Ship on a suspected Shelfe;
When here in England he gave Austine leave
To winke at Heathen Feasts, to interweave
Their Stuffe with Faith, which some resemblance had
With Christian Formes, to weane them from their Bad
And damned Garbes, that so by Easie steps
They might ascend, and not by sodaine Leapes.
These Pagan Rites by Saints conniv'd at first,
Like tainted Vessels savour'd of the Worst,
And long retain'd their mixt Religions Taint,
Till the Last Age, on the New-mans Complaint,
Had purifi'd what the Good Spirit knew
Expedient in the Church Christ to renew.

That Monster, which since the Apostles Age
Crept Mysticke-wise, grew big, began to rage,
And Raigne soone after Gregories Decease,
Under the Keyes pretence disturbing Peace,

134

And shall for Gold assume Iehovahes Might,
To Thunder, Blesse, or Curse each Mortall wight;
For now henceforth a Mixt Religion flowes,
To marre Good Seed the Tempter Darnell sowes.
With Dreggish Dreames, which here Pelagians first,
And Monkish Braines had brew'd, they quench their Thirst.
With Reliques, Shrines, and Lies, Monastick Cells
Abound, and Darknesse now the Light expells.
Foule Sodomy instead of Lawfull Flames,
And now our West Blacke Superstition shames.
As Mungrells of Samaria Sacrific'd
Some unto God, some Creatures Idoliz'd:
Some this besaint, that Image they observe,
But really the Most Part Mauzzim serve.
On Creatures they the God-heads Right conferre,
And while they kneele to Shrines most grossely erre;
The Sunne's Eclips'd, The Gospel they misprise,
And slight the Crosse, the New-mans Sacrifice:
The Fiery Crosse they flight, and hope by Deedes
And Humane Craft to blot out all Mis-deedes.

135

Both East and West, since Mahomet began,
Since Mecha roar'd the Moorish Alcoran,
Find much adoe their Credit to excuse,
But must confesse the New-man they abuse,
While the Old Man with his Voluptuous store,
Traditions, and his Trident they adore;
While Dust and Ashes they extoll too much,
Gods Word concealing, where they inly grutch
At Him, who did Poore Fishermen inspire
With sundry Tongues appearing then, like Fire,
Unlesse they will mad Iulians cause support,
Restraining Light from all the Vulgar Sort,
Who burnt the Scriptures, interdicted Zeale,
And forbad Schooles to Christians Common-weale:
As from the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Sixe,
Rome did obscure Gods Word to raise her Pixe.
And what more Signe of a Tyrannick Sway
Could be, then with One Tongue to oversway

136

The Christian Church compos'd of many Sounds?
The Catholick of unrestrained Bounds?
Within this Age likewise the Agarens,
By changing of their Names to Saracens,
Intruded on the Right of Abrams Heire,
On Christs as Moses Lawes, and on the Faire
Possessions of the Church in Siriaes Land,
With Ægypt, which to his Arabian strand
Now Mahomet doth adde, that by those Three
The Hornes in Daniel might accomplisht be,
With Hodgepodge-Dreames Cookt for a Fairy Feast.
And so himselfe of those Three Realmes possest
Dar'd to spue out the most Presumptuous thing,
The Alcoran, I meane, against our Christ,
Whereby he grew One of Great Antichrist
His Chiefest Limbs to Lord it in the East,
As Popes already crept into the West;
And save for Christian Name, which they doe beare,
Shall over-match him in our Worldly spheare,

137

For as the One himselfe styles Lord of Lords:
So Ours shall goe beyond him by lowd Words,
And Thundring Bulls accursing men to Hell,
Dethroning Kings, and seating Soules aswell
In Heaven, as in Purgatory-Cells:
In which Attempts the Pope the Turk excells.

But whether for Pelagian Heresie,
Or for her Fraud Romes great Apostasie
Fell out? (For though Pelagius she may blame,
Yet his Conceptions with implicite Flame
She hugges) Or when she turned Courtezan?
Or when was Satan curb'd? I leave to scan,
Loath to resolve such Questions Scrupulous,
Till Fresher Gales, for their more cleere discusse,
Shall quicken up my gravell'd Intellect
From Ancient Scribes the Truth to recollect.

138

I had almost forgot here downe to quote
Among these Broiles one memorable Note,
About the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Foure,
When Sarasens and Popes began to rore,
A Female-Saint of Yorke did Prophetize,
And speake against Romes New Enormities:
She stood against the Shaving of the Crowne,
Which then the Romish Church, to know her owne
False Prophets by, as Publike Mark or Seale,
Had forc'd on Priests with a lowd thundring Peale.
Against the same, and Easters Romaine Date
Good Hilda spake, but Popes said she did prate.
For since they durst the New-mans Course exchange,
Why might not they all Ancient Orders change?
Adde to the Church New Sacraments, as Lights?
And alter Times aswell as Outward Rites?
He, that presumes above all Counsells, Kings,
And States, will do farre more prodigious things.

139

Thus Popes have done. Therefore I strongly fixe
Upon the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Sixe.
When Gog with Force advanc'd the Alcoran,
When Magogs wiles set up the Outward Man:
Then did those Foes, though diff'ring in their wayes,
Begin with Filth to soile the Churches Rayes.