 | Miscellanies in Verse and Prose |  |
ON THE DEATH of ARMINIUS.
From the Latin of HUGO GROTIUS. Inscrib'd to the Memory of Dr. SAMUEL CLARK.
Thou great Researcher into Truth profound,
A Soul sublime, with Erudition crown'd,
Distinguish'd Pattern of a piercing Mind,
Arminius, from an Age perplex'd and blind,
Serenely thou art call'd, with happy Flight,
To the fair Regions of Cœlestial Light.
A Soul sublime, with Erudition crown'd,
Distinguish'd Pattern of a piercing Mind,
Arminius, from an Age perplex'd and blind,
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To the fair Regions of Cœlestial Light.
Pure were thy Views; and whether thou hast serv'd
Truth's glorious Cause, and in no Notion swerv'd,
Or by the Lot attending human Kind,
Which dimly sees, with Faculties confin'd,
In any Part, unheeded Error spread
Her obvious Snare, and thy Pursuit mis-led;
(A curious Question, and for them to show,
Who have both Right to judge, and Skill to know:)
Yet wast thou seen, in this contentious Age,
A strict Peruser of the Sacred Page;
Yet didst thou not in Words of Man confide,
Relying rashly on a dubious Guide:
For which th'Applauses of a Conscience clear,
True to it self, still humble and sincere,
At Heav'ns impartial Bar thou dost with Rapture hear!
Truth's glorious Cause, and in no Notion swerv'd,
Or by the Lot attending human Kind,
Which dimly sees, with Faculties confin'd,
In any Part, unheeded Error spread
Her obvious Snare, and thy Pursuit mis-led;
(A curious Question, and for them to show,
Who have both Right to judge, and Skill to know:)
Yet wast thou seen, in this contentious Age,
A strict Peruser of the Sacred Page;
Yet didst thou not in Words of Man confide,
Relying rashly on a dubious Guide:
For which th'Applauses of a Conscience clear,
True to it self, still humble and sincere,
At Heav'ns impartial Bar thou dost with Rapture hear!
There, from the Sorrows of this Life releas'd,
Of perfect Ease, and perfect Joy possess'd,
The Science you so long pursu'd below,
You largely now obtain, and truly know.
From that Irradiance of Cœlestial Day,
You look, and see unhappy Mortals stray,
In Ignorance involv'd, and miss the Way;
How vain the Thing, which Knowledge here we name;
An empty Vapour, and an idle Dream!
Yet swell'd with this, we others proudly spurn,
And are again insulted in our Turn.
Hence Wars of sour disputing Doctors rise,
The People's Rage, and endless Enmities.
While Holy Truth, of Holy Peace the Friend,
Escapes unseen, as fiercely they contend.
From whence this Lust of Quarrel and Debate,
This Zeal of Parties, and pernicious Hate?
Has our dear Lord's infernal Foe, conceal'd,
Sown this bad Seed, and scatter'd o'er his Field?
Or do's the hasty Wrath of mortal Man,
And Wit deprav'd, th'unhallow'd Strife maintain,
And to vile Ends the Cause of God prophane?
Or while the World, inquisitive to know,
All Secrets scans, and Things forbid below,
Is this the righteous Punishment assign'd,
T'abash the Boldness of the curious Mind?
As when of old the madding People strove,
From their proud Tow'r to scale ev'n Heav'n above,
A thousand erring Tongues their Speech embroil'd,
And with wild Jargon the vain Counsel foil'd.
Of perfect Ease, and perfect Joy possess'd,
The Science you so long pursu'd below,
You largely now obtain, and truly know.
From that Irradiance of Cœlestial Day,
You look, and see unhappy Mortals stray,
In Ignorance involv'd, and miss the Way;
How vain the Thing, which Knowledge here we name;
An empty Vapour, and an idle Dream!
Yet swell'd with this, we others proudly spurn,
And are again insulted in our Turn.
103
The People's Rage, and endless Enmities.
While Holy Truth, of Holy Peace the Friend,
Escapes unseen, as fiercely they contend.
From whence this Lust of Quarrel and Debate,
This Zeal of Parties, and pernicious Hate?
Has our dear Lord's infernal Foe, conceal'd,
Sown this bad Seed, and scatter'd o'er his Field?
Or do's the hasty Wrath of mortal Man,
And Wit deprav'd, th'unhallow'd Strife maintain,
And to vile Ends the Cause of God prophane?
Or while the World, inquisitive to know,
All Secrets scans, and Things forbid below,
Is this the righteous Punishment assign'd,
T'abash the Boldness of the curious Mind?
As when of old the madding People strove,
From their proud Tow'r to scale ev'n Heav'n above,
A thousand erring Tongues their Speech embroil'd,
And with wild Jargon the vain Counsel foil'd.
Ah! what do we attempt? the little Stock
Selected from the World, the purchas'd Flock
Invades it self, and rends with mutual Spite,
While Turks rejoyce, and Jews applaud the Sight.
Selected from the World, the purchas'd Flock
Invades it self, and rends with mutual Spite,
While Turks rejoyce, and Jews applaud the Sight.
Bless'd the Religion, which from factious Heat
Chastly preserv'd, and Arts of Human Wit,
Shines in its own Simplicity compleat!
Which Pardon, by our Saviour's Death procur'd,
Expects with stedfast Faith, and Hope assur'd;
Salvation as the Gift of Heav'n receives,
And Punishments ordain'd for Sins believes;
Of gentle Love the kind Indulgence tries,
Content to be with Moderation wise;
Which never will in rash Inquiries strive,
Whether Events by a fix'd Fate arrive;
How, void of Evil, by establish'd Laws,
The Sov'reign Ruler, as the Sov'reign Cause,
Decrees and disallows committed Ill,
And by a pow'rful Nod, conducts the Human Will.
Chastly preserv'd, and Arts of Human Wit,
Shines in its own Simplicity compleat!
Which Pardon, by our Saviour's Death procur'd,
Expects with stedfast Faith, and Hope assur'd;
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And Punishments ordain'd for Sins believes;
Of gentle Love the kind Indulgence tries,
Content to be with Moderation wise;
Which never will in rash Inquiries strive,
Whether Events by a fix'd Fate arrive;
How, void of Evil, by establish'd Laws,
The Sov'reign Ruler, as the Sov'reign Cause,
Decrees and disallows committed Ill,
And by a pow'rful Nod, conducts the Human Will.
And bless'd the Man! who from Ambition free,
Nor Gain pursues, nor earthly Vanity;
Nor meanly courts the Flatteries of Praise,
But do's to Heav'n his glad Devotion raise;
To know the Deity his Study bends,
And in the Flames of righteous Zeal ascends;
Who safely guided by th'unerring Clue
Of Sacred Writ, its Precepts does pursue;
And thro' the Maze of various Life, with Care
Directs his Way, and 'scapes the ready Snare;
With Charity his Freedom tempers well,
And can in Peace with diff'ring Parties dwell:
Pious and just, who does Contention shun,
Tho' damn'd himself by Others, damning None;
Who never will with Confidence presume,
But now disputes for Truth, and now for Peace is dumb.
Nor Gain pursues, nor earthly Vanity;
Nor meanly courts the Flatteries of Praise,
But do's to Heav'n his glad Devotion raise;
To know the Deity his Study bends,
And in the Flames of righteous Zeal ascends;
Who safely guided by th'unerring Clue
Of Sacred Writ, its Precepts does pursue;
And thro' the Maze of various Life, with Care
Directs his Way, and 'scapes the ready Snare;
With Charity his Freedom tempers well,
And can in Peace with diff'ring Parties dwell:
Pious and just, who does Contention shun,
Tho' damn'd himself by Others, damning None;
Who never will with Confidence presume,
But now disputes for Truth, and now for Peace is dumb.
These Lessons often, nor without Success,
Thou didst in publick, and in private press;
These with redoubled Energy commend,
When nearer now approaching to thy End;
Worne with the Labours of exerted Life,
And nauseating an Age involv'd in Strife,
Full of itself, beyond Instruction wise,
Ungrateful, and delighting to despise;
Broke in thy worse, but in thy nobler Part
Firm and entire, thou didst with ardent Heart,
(So does thy Soul the rapt'rous Prospect fire!)
To that blest Kingdom earnestly aspire,
To which, while Heav'n prolong'd thy useful Stay,
Thou hadst to thousands pointed out the Way.
Thou didst in publick, and in private press;
105
When nearer now approaching to thy End;
Worne with the Labours of exerted Life,
And nauseating an Age involv'd in Strife,
Full of itself, beyond Instruction wise,
Ungrateful, and delighting to despise;
Broke in thy worse, but in thy nobler Part
Firm and entire, thou didst with ardent Heart,
(So does thy Soul the rapt'rous Prospect fire!)
To that blest Kingdom earnestly aspire,
To which, while Heav'n prolong'd thy useful Stay,
Thou hadst to thousands pointed out the Way.
There now a Star, with Rays eternal grac'd,
And in the Father's glorious Temple plac'd,
In Pray'r to God, thou humbly dost unite,
To shed upon his Fold sufficient Light,
And grant they may with That rest satisfy'd;
Teachers to give them, pure from worldly Pride,
To propagate his Gospel, not an Art,
And Union send of Tongues, at least of Heart:
Of Controversies blind, to chase the Night,
With his own Lustre, prevalently bright;
That the whole Church of Christ, made One in Love,
May persevere; and, aided from above,
Their Life to Men, and Faith to Heav'n approve.
And in the Father's glorious Temple plac'd,
In Pray'r to God, thou humbly dost unite,
To shed upon his Fold sufficient Light,
And grant they may with That rest satisfy'd;
Teachers to give them, pure from worldly Pride,
To propagate his Gospel, not an Art,
And Union send of Tongues, at least of Heart:
Of Controversies blind, to chase the Night,
With his own Lustre, prevalently bright;
That the whole Church of Christ, made One in Love,
May persevere; and, aided from above,
Their Life to Men, and Faith to Heav'n approve.
| Miscellanies in Verse and Prose | |