University of Virginia Library

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155

THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE NINTH AGE,

From the Yeare of our Lord 800. (About which Time Charles the Great of France after his Conquest of the Lumbards, was Crowned by Pope Leo the Third Emperour of the West) untill the Yeare 900. About which time the Danes sore afflicted England.

Brave Charlemaine, like Romes bifronted Sire,
Whom Pagans at the Former Yeares expire,
And at the Newes Approah renew'd with Bayes:
So merited this Prince redoubted Praise,

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156

For clozing up in the Last falling Age
Our Westerne wounds made by Barbarian Rage.
No Fate of Worldly Wheeles, nor length of Yeares
Shall cancell Martells Deedes, nor the Twelve Peeres
Dimme, nor expunge from Honours Calendar,
For their Exploits and Memorable Warre
Against the Moores, with whom they did so cope,
That they quite lost their proud Ambitious Hope
Of Conqu'ring France, as they subjected Spaine,
But left behinde Two hundred Thousand slaine
Of Moorish Coarses for a Pawne or Signe,
That none shall France but Christians make to whine.

Charles after Broiles in this Ninth Age began
Three Academes to found for the New-man,
To propagate in France and Italy,
By whose faire Patterne Moe did fructifie
In other Christian Lands, from whence Some rose,
Some Rome to ayd, and some her to oppose:

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157

For though the Head of the Vertigo wheel'd,
Some Members yet there were, which never reel'd.

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158

A lasse, that such Effects from Kings did streame,
To taint the Springs of New Ierusalem,
Since what they gave out of their Love and Zeale,
Redounded to corrupt Christs Common-weale,
The more Rome had, the more she coveted,
(Ambition perkes with reines unlimited)
And never will the Pope in quiet rest,
Till he rides on a Scarlet colour'd Beast,
Till he Crown'd with a Triple Diademe
Shall both his Mates and Emperours contemne.
But the Red Dragon yet workes covertly,
He spues not all his Dregges but lets them ly
At randome, whilst this Age amaz'd doth passe
Like to a Dreame; and that the Next an Asse
Shall turne, extinct of Light, and Learnings Fruit,
Which Charles had left for Honours faire pursuit:
Whereby more Roome shall for ambitious Rome
Enlarged be for Soules abroad to roame.

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159

About the Yeare Eight Hundred Sixty Six,
Romes Church being growne of late a Meretrix,
Chast Marriage more to bring into Decay,
And to promote the Antichristian Sway
By Sodomes Snares and Brothelries accurst,
Consented that Pope Nicholas the First,
With Lucifers and all the Monks applause
Should then enact these grosse Tyrannicque Lawes:
That no Lay-men receive the Sacrament
By Married Priests, though with devout intent;
As if Gods Mysticks from John Baptists Sire,
Or Peter savour'd of Profaner Fire;
And that thenceforth no Priest should celebrate
Within Precincts of all the Christian state
Gods Service in the Vulgar Mother Tongue,
But in the Latine, which did all belong,
As he surmiz'd, to Peters Government,
And so to him by reason consequent,
Excepting onely the Sclavonian Rout
And Polanders, whom he of Grace left out.

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160

Thus hath Romes Lord the Devils Doctrine broacht,
And falsely on the New-mans Right encroacht.
Where was Christs Church the while? gone from that Clime
Elsewhere (perhaps a Thousand Yeares) to chime.
That so Rome being for her unthankfulnesse
Cut off, the Gospels Sound might Others blesse.
But while this Eighth Centurian Age did last,
Some Wits barr'd Sinne from spreading too too fast.

Of these I praise good Bertrams Unity
And Haymons Cares, because the verity
Of our late Doubts about the Sacrament
Of the Lords Feast they quote, and what is meant
By that Divine and Mystick Ordinance,
Which Carnall Clerkes by Transubstantiate Trance
Broacht to confound our Weaklings Apprehension
For his true Bodies Forme, Site, and Dimension:
Ærigera then gloss'd the Sacrament
Like them, from which our Moderne Popes dissent.

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So learned Raban did, and Isidore,
Who held those Points, which Bertram held before.

No Clarks then cloy'd Christs Flock with heavy Mast
But drest his Feast fit for the New-mans tast:
They Christ Receiv'd by Intellectuall Trance,
And upwards taught by Faith Soules to advance.
They taught their Flocke the Old Man to deface,
And to embrace the Holy Spirits Grace:
The Chaine 'twixt Christ and us incorporate,
Christs Flesh and Bloud with Ours Regenerate:
The Sacrament not taken in One kinde.
(Who would bar Wine from Guests but men unkind)
The Reall Forme whereof unspeakable
If I describe, the Saints will say I babble,
For Carnall Reason knowes not to define,
How Christ descends at our Great Feast Divine.
Upon our Faith the Holy Ghost alights,
And He with Christ our rapt-up Soules unites,

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Makes us in Minde and Body Sympathize
With Christ his Humane Nature Mystick-wise,

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163

By these two Flaming Brands and Papall Jarres,
Good Watch-men may dissever Fiends from Starres,
And by the Fruit proud Antichrist discerne,
If foggy Mists impeacht them not to learne.
His Empires wound which long since Goths had made
By Constantines Remove, had for his Trade
Of Soules beene soone recur'd, yea, Antichrist
Been sooner knowne: But God that Cloudy Mist
Permitted by degrees the West to blinde,
Which grew of wild degenerated kinde,

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164

Untill Romes Cup of Fornications full
Were mounted to the height the World to gull,
That so his Word fulfill'd, her fearefull Fall
Amaze them more, who her a Queen install.
While she deferres her Coronation Day,
The Next farre duller Age prepares her way,
To climbe above all Christian States and Kings,
And to invert for Gold Gods sacred things.
Marke, Reader, but with Feare; and Glory not
In that Old Churches Fall, lest that thy Lot
For thy proud Peacocks vaunt of thine Owne Worth,
May hap, like her, from Grace to be cast forth.
While thus the Popes their Monarchy contrive,
Within the Yeare Eight Hundred Ninety Five:
In imitation of brave Charlemaine,
Who founded Schooles poore Students to maintaine,
And likewise of the Saxon Sigebert,
Who rear'd the like in Cambridge to convert

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Two Ages past rude Wits from Ignorance:
King Alfred built for Schollers Maintenance
An Academe, or Universitie
At Oxford, which with Men of Pietie,
Men skilfull in the Tongues and Arts he stor'd,
Such as could well expound Gods Sacred Word,
Whereof himselfe a present Patterne was,
And might be stil'd true Vertues Looking-glasse;
Ev'n as our Iames was Learnings Oracle,
Styl'd Faiths Defender, Brittaines Miracle;
For as the One clad Part of Davids Hymnes
In Saxon Garbe, wrote Bookes, and Catechismes:
So did Our King of Famous Memory
New-clothe those Psalmes in Verse, and Popery
Convince with sundry Bookes, and Babylon,
For which Our Age inscribes him Salomon.

In Turne of Time, as Faith did ebbe and flow,
Or as the Moone eclips'd, or Winds did blow,

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Religion wav'd, sprung up another Fry,
Which grounding Faith on vaine Imagery,
And their owne Merits puffe, for Penance sake,
Or with Great Rome to part Vaine-glories stake,
Took up Good Alfreds Taske, to build more Roomes
In the Oxonian Towne, upon whose Tombes
Faire Violets and Roses sithence grew,
Because they living strove Arts to renew.
This moved Wainflet, Wickam, Chichesley,
And Others with more Fabrickes to supply
That Nursery; Some brought in Wood, some Clay,
Some Stone, aswell the Clergy as the Lay.
Hence as from Sinons Horse Minervaes Knights
Came forth, well skill'd in Fences and in Fights.
Hence as from Saplings shot up Goodly Trees,
Hence as from Hives came up Industrious Bees,
Whereof some did the Conscience edifie,
The Common-wealth some Others beautifie.
Hence Wickliffe rose, Bale, and laborious Foxe,
Who holp to build Our Temple Orthodoxe,

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Though not in Zeale to match the Primitive,
Yet by such Good Mens Cares through Grace wee thrive,
By Martyrs Acts fetcht from Old Registers
To stop the Mouthes of false Interpreters,
As by those Wits nurst up with Food Divine
On Oxfords Paps, which now in London shine,
And likewise by a Thousand Other Starres,
Whose Radiant Rayes excell the Sunny Carres,
At whose rare Gifts and Voyce our Brittains wonder,
When they strike Sinne, like to the Sonnes of Thunder.