Withers Redevivus In a Small New-Years-Gift, Pro Rege et Grege: And to His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange. Wherein is a Most Strange and Wonderful Plot, lately found out and Discovered. And Recommended to all the Imposing Members of the Church of England, to be by them acted, as part of their last Lent Confession. Viz. To all Roman Catholick Priests and Jesuits of Persecuting Principles and Profession. With the Arraignment and Tryal of Innocent the XIth. Present Pope of Rome. Refused last Lent to be Licensed, by reason of the Matter therein contained. By T. P. |
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THE Epistle Dedicatory, To all Loyal Protestants, and True English Men,
(whether Conformists or Nonconformists) Readers. |
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 | Withers Redevivus |  |
THE Epistle Dedicatory, To all Loyal Protestants, and True English Men, (whether Conformists or Nonconformists) Readers.
My Worthy Friends and Country-men,
Should you ask why we joyn you both together,
From you, it is, we must expect fair Weather;
True English Men are those must do our work,
Against the Pope, the Devil, and the Turk.
(Now is the time for Men to shew themselves,
Whether true Christians, or true Roman Elves)
You need no Pressing, you'll go Volanteers
Against all such as pluck Men by the Ears
For their Religions sake; and such as these
We must convince, then we shall be at Ease,
Both in our Bodies and Estates likewise,
Who would not venture at so great a Prize;
Times would not bear last Spring our fair Intent,
To make this Publick in the time of Lent:
Though the Contents are plain'd upon the Square,
To all unbiass'd Men who Truth can bear,
As you must own most plainly will appear,
When you have viewed both our Front and Rear,
Some Roman Clergy would have been offended
At the Poor Whigs, had they it much commended.
The English Clergy, neither more nor less,
Would have been lauth their Old Sins to confess,
(As you will find herein they ought and must,
If to Dissenters they will be but Just,)
As hoping still to get the Upper Hand,
That then they might (as formerly) command.
So a great States-man fairly did us tell,
'Twas not then time to raise so loud a Bell:
Although the Plot he then did well approve,
Wish'd, from his Soul, all would but live in Love,
And that the Church of England Men would please,
So to Confess, and give Dissenters Ease;
Then would Old England be a Christian State,
And to the Christian Turk might give check Mate.
Bid us forbear a while, 'twould then be Best,
When Church and State could bear so great a Test.
Now is the time, if we will all agree
To Center in true Christian Liberty.
Our Gracious Prince hath lead us all the Van,
Let each of us, as a true English Man,
Gird up our Loins, and stand up for Truth's side,
Though we should Row against the Wind and Tide,
As we have done for many years by past,
Though now have hopes we shall prevail at last,
His Royal Banners, we have lately seen,
Such as wont March with all their Colours Green,
Now in their Caps have surely got the Spleen.
Let the high Tories, if they please, wear Red,
Our hopeful Green will make them all turn Head,
Or else we are mistaken in the Age,
Wherein we hope there is a good Presage,
Fall back fall edge, unto this Holy War
VVe are resolv'd, wherein to get a Scar,
By Writing, Speaking, pushing of a Pike,
(Not Damming, Swearing, VVhoring or the like,)
Is greater Honour than a Dubbed Knight
Shall get at home, if now he will not Fight.
How will they look, when as they all must come
Upon their Knees, to bid Him welcome Home;
VVho was our Valiant Captain, and did lead
His Souldiers out, to bring them home to Bed.
Not Hurdles nor Deal Boards, though plainly such
Thousands have had, for not coming to Church,
But Beds of Doun, whereon we all shall Lye,
VVhen as Great Truth shall sound the Victory:
VVere we but Muster-master for one Year,
To take the Names of those that shall appear
Under the Royal Standard, to Declare
For Liberty, to have an Equal share;
And for their Muster, take Six Pence a piece,
Our Coat of Armes might be the Golden Fleece;
And for Defaulters Half Crowns on the Nail,
Instead of Buff, we'd wear a Coat of Mail.
Though we do hope, although we thus do speak,
There are but few, that would so hide and sneak.
Then let us All declare, with Master Pen,
Kings over Bodies, Christ the Souls of Men;
Then will be truly Halcion days indeed,
VVhen for Religion none more here shall Bleed;
And since last Lent the times are chang'd so much,
And fearing not the Hogan Mogan Dutch,
VVe now have ventur'd on the Publick Stage,
Mens Heats to Cool, their Passions to asswage;
And when our blust'ring Storms are past and gone,
If Church-men will confess, our work is done:
VVe hope they will, and no more run Astray,
Our Christian-Muse hath shew'd them all the Way.
And if our downright Form shall please them well,
(VVe'll soon ring out the Persecuting Knell.)
We wish it may, and then our Tongues shall Ring,
God Bless our Church, God Save Great James our King.
VVho is now rais'd, by God himself to Act
This Great, this Noble, and most Christian Fact.
Though differing from that Church we do Profess,
So was great Cyrus (as we read) no Less.
Oh! Happy Prince, whom God doth chuse (though Late)
To settle all things both in Church and State.
And he that will not joyn in this Decree,
Let him for ever loose his Pedigree
By our Consent, thousands will vote the same,
Or else we'll Post them in their Wits but lame:
We know that you will joyn with one consent,
To have it done in the next Parliament.
Trustees for us, and for our Prince's Good,
VVhen they shall once be fairly understood;
And when our Antichristian Wars shall cease,
Truth will proclaim an Everlasting Peace
In this our Land, and all the World throughout,
Though to some States will be a Fatal Rout.
The Time's a coming, long it will not be,
Let them remember but M D C C.
VVhich is the Period of that time, some fix
Upon that Text, six hundred sixty six.
And as we met, now let us part in love,
God Bless you All, with his Grace from Above.
From you, it is, we must expect fair Weather;
True English Men are those must do our work,
Against the Pope, the Devil, and the Turk.
(Now is the time for Men to shew themselves,
Whether true Christians, or true Roman Elves)
You need no Pressing, you'll go Volanteers
Against all such as pluck Men by the Ears
For their Religions sake; and such as these
We must convince, then we shall be at Ease,
Both in our Bodies and Estates likewise,
Who would not venture at so great a Prize;
Times would not bear last Spring our fair Intent,
To make this Publick in the time of Lent:
To all unbiass'd Men who Truth can bear,
As you must own most plainly will appear,
When you have viewed both our Front and Rear,
Some Roman Clergy would have been offended
At the Poor Whigs, had they it much commended.
The English Clergy, neither more nor less,
Would have been lauth their Old Sins to confess,
(As you will find herein they ought and must,
If to Dissenters they will be but Just,)
As hoping still to get the Upper Hand,
That then they might (as formerly) command.
So a great States-man fairly did us tell,
'Twas not then time to raise so loud a Bell:
Although the Plot he then did well approve,
Wish'd, from his Soul, all would but live in Love,
And that the Church of England Men would please,
So to Confess, and give Dissenters Ease;
Then would Old England be a Christian State,
And to the Christian Turk might give check Mate.
Bid us forbear a while, 'twould then be Best,
When Church and State could bear so great a Test.
Now is the time, if we will all agree
To Center in true Christian Liberty.
Our Gracious Prince hath lead us all the Van,
Let each of us, as a true English Man,
Gird up our Loins, and stand up for Truth's side,
Though we should Row against the Wind and Tide,
Though now have hopes we shall prevail at last,
His Royal Banners, we have lately seen,
Such as wont March with all their Colours Green,
Now in their Caps have surely got the Spleen.
Let the high Tories, if they please, wear Red,
Our hopeful Green will make them all turn Head,
Or else we are mistaken in the Age,
Wherein we hope there is a good Presage,
Fall back fall edge, unto this Holy War
VVe are resolv'd, wherein to get a Scar,
By Writing, Speaking, pushing of a Pike,
(Not Damming, Swearing, VVhoring or the like,)
Is greater Honour than a Dubbed Knight
Shall get at home, if now he will not Fight.
How will they look, when as they all must come
Upon their Knees, to bid Him welcome Home;
VVho was our Valiant Captain, and did lead
His Souldiers out, to bring them home to Bed.
Not Hurdles nor Deal Boards, though plainly such
Thousands have had, for not coming to Church,
But Beds of Doun, whereon we all shall Lye,
VVhen as Great Truth shall sound the Victory:
VVere we but Muster-master for one Year,
To take the Names of those that shall appear
Under the Royal Standard, to Declare
For Liberty, to have an Equal share;
Our Coat of Armes might be the Golden Fleece;
And for Defaulters Half Crowns on the Nail,
Instead of Buff, we'd wear a Coat of Mail.
Though we do hope, although we thus do speak,
There are but few, that would so hide and sneak.
Then let us All declare, with Master Pen,
Kings over Bodies, Christ the Souls of Men;
Then will be truly Halcion days indeed,
VVhen for Religion none more here shall Bleed;
And since last Lent the times are chang'd so much,
And fearing not the Hogan Mogan Dutch,
VVe now have ventur'd on the Publick Stage,
Mens Heats to Cool, their Passions to asswage;
And when our blust'ring Storms are past and gone,
If Church-men will confess, our work is done:
VVe hope they will, and no more run Astray,
Our Christian-Muse hath shew'd them all the Way.
And if our downright Form shall please them well,
(VVe'll soon ring out the Persecuting Knell.)
We wish it may, and then our Tongues shall Ring,
God Bless our Church, God Save Great James our King.
VVho is now rais'd, by God himself to Act
This Great, this Noble, and most Christian Fact.
Though differing from that Church we do Profess,
So was great Cyrus (as we read) no Less.
Oh! Happy Prince, whom God doth chuse (though Late)
To settle all things both in Church and State.
Let him for ever loose his Pedigree
By our Consent, thousands will vote the same,
Or else we'll Post them in their Wits but lame:
We know that you will joyn with one consent,
To have it done in the next Parliament.
Trustees for us, and for our Prince's Good,
VVhen they shall once be fairly understood;
And when our Antichristian Wars shall cease,
Truth will proclaim an Everlasting Peace
In this our Land, and all the World throughout,
Though to some States will be a Fatal Rout.
The Time's a coming, long it will not be,
Let them remember but M D C C.
VVhich is the Period of that time, some fix
Upon that Text, six hundred sixty six.
And as we met, now let us part in love,
God Bless you All, with his Grace from Above.
I am, (Gentlemen,)
Your most Passionate and most Affectionate Friend, to Love,
Honour, and Serve you, as a True English Man, for Liberty and
Property, according to the utmost of his slender Ability,
Theophilus Philalethes.
POSTSCRIPT.
Should this pass Muster now without Controle,And that the Romans will not us Cajole,
But Friendly take it, then we will be plain,
Your bashful Poet hath an higher strain
Now in his hands, and ready for the Press,
And to be short, it is a Fair Address
Unto such Men, whose Learning and whose Parts,
Makes each of them to write Master of Arts.
Our Plot therein, and the Contents are such,
To bring all Noncons to the Publick Church,
On such fair Terms, that none shall them deny,
VVhich do profess true Christianity.
If this won't please, some Dog-Stars rule the Dice,
We may throw Cink but never shall throw Sice,
We'll tell you more when we have broke the Ice.
Cink is for them, our Chance is two times Three,
No other Point we have to set us Free.
Cink is for Penal Laws, Sice is for none,
When we throw Six, Oh! then the Town's our own:
We first would hear how this Plot is Resented,
Before our Second shall be fairly Printed.
| Withers Redevivus | |