University of Virginia Library

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TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNES The Duke of Albanie.

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THE TEST.

A Poem presented to His Royal Highness: wherein is conclusively asserted the Kings Prerogative Royal, and Jurisdiction in Maters Ecclesiastical, with the unlawfulness of resistance.

I.

Begon heart cutting cares, I scorn to be
Unfortunate, spite of adversitie.
I he who all my life was bruis'd and broke,
On Fortunes wheel being rack'd from spoke to spoke;
Born under unpropitious Starrs, which throwes,
As I grow old, new loads of growing woes:
Now these misfortunes, which did me annoy
Are swalowed up in ane excessive joy.
I surfeit with delights! can Hell present,
What after this, I darr call discontent?
Nay now its a puz'ling doubt, whither I be

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Compos'd of Joy, or Joy compos'd of me.
What unexpected Treasure makes thee blest,
If any ask? I answer, it's the Test:
Which if well understood, for plentie, peace;
Scotland might write Nil ultra, to her Bliss.
The Test a store, wherewith enricht, the West
Needs not envy the bowels of the East.
By this the drowsie Sword shall snorting ly,
And Janus of his gate shall lose the key.
And we in shade of heavenly peaces wing
Shall serve our God, and dearly love our King.

2.

GOD Bliss your Royal Highness, but I vow,
Never so Royal, nor so high till now.
No, when thy head being girt with verdant bayes,
And every one sang Jo to thy praise;
Laden with Spoiles, and honours thou advanc't,
While victorie upon thy ensignes danc't.
Care of Religion is the glorious Gemm,
That Crowns the Crown, exaltes the Diadem;
And makes your Highness, highlie, Royal, since
The Prince of virtues most becomes a Prince.
Vile Ink a common tetter may command,
But the Kings evill requires a Royal hand:
So all the Godly Jewish Kings of old
By such a Iest from dross did purge their Gold.
This is like Jehu's Test: to try withall,
Who is for God, or who adhears to Baal.
Constantius Syre to Constantin the best
Did purge his Court by such ane other Test.
It's this the Spanish annals do imput

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As a chief Honour to their Sisibut.
French Dagobert did eternize the storie,
And Legend of his life, by such a glorie.
This Test will expiate our enormous crimes
Committed in our bloody Rebel-times.
This Unions Trophie will for ever blot
The Leprous scandal of a rebell-Scot;
And make the Worlds Amphitheater see,
A Scot and Loyal are Identitie:
And make our bright renown to spread as farr,
As is the Artick from th'Antartick Starr.
Lucretia's chastitie no fame had gain'd,
Had she not with that loathsome rapt been stain'd.
Lucrece the glory of her Sex! O rare,
Who did her honour to her life preferr!
Mirror of Matrons, who did death indure
Rather then (thô by force) be thought a whoore.
The Test's the touchstone, badge and livery
And Cognizance of faithful Loyalty.
It is the fan will purge this soultrie Isle,
And separat the precious from the vile.
And this will bind us to true Libertie,
Like Sones and Daughters of one Familie,
And Servants of one Lord this bond of Peace
Will artes and plentie, and our Joyes increase.
Nay it will here Commence the Joys above,
Make us all happie, and each other love:
Make us amongst our selves Compose all Jarrs,
And on the common foe discharge our Warrs.

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IV.

And yet some Owles cannot abide this Sun,
They scorn not to defend, what they have done:
And on this TEST they do more dumpish look,
Then English Panals that's denyed their Book.

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And this doeth cheifly their blind conscience grudge,
To make the King in all Church maters Judge;
Although Saint Paul this solemn rule did make,
We must be Subject all for conscience sake.
It's ignorance, or else audacious nonsence,
That Princes hes no power of Subjects conscience:
For, as Religion makes us calme and mild;
So Superstition, Frantick mad and wild.
And if such rise in Armes upon pretence
Of a convulsion in their conscience;
If that the King may not controul their doing,
He and his Subjects both involv'd in ruine:
And on the other hand, if that he may
Then of their conscience sure he bears the sway.
Or all things sacred, and all things that's civill
Shall be o're thrown by every furious Devil.
If they can make a shift for to baptize
Their furie Zeal, they may do what they please:
So each Opinion makes a Sect from hence,
And every Sect a faction doeth commence,
And every Faction for a warr will boad,
And every Warr will be the cause of God,
And every Cause of God will grow so high
To out-face, and trample on Authority;
So while by hairbrain'd follie wee'r beguil'd,
Religion is debauch'd and peace exil'd.
These were the giddie methods, which of late
Confounded and destroyed both Church and State;
And all that these Fanaticks now desire,
Is but the smook of that unquenched fire.
All they contend and fight for, is to bring

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Themselves or equal, or above the King.
But grant ane other power as great as he,
Then likewayes grant that two Supreams may be;
And so the People may obliedged stand
Unto a contradictorie command,
Exemplified we saw this wry nos'd quirk,
In late King James and his opprobrious Kirk:
Therefore ther's no controlling of the Powers,
Or each Supream will have Superiours.

V.

First œconomick was the Government,
And from a familie drew its descent;
Which families amplification
Became a City, Province, Nation:
And from his Loyns, Because the race did spring,
The Father of the Familie was King,
And Priest too, in one Person, which at death
Joyntlie to his first borne he did bequeath.
So for two thousand years the World did see,
The Priest-hood joyn'd with Soveraignty.
So, Numa, so, Augustus King and Priest,
So, all the Kings of Malabar, in th'East:
Which tho, that God among the Jews divided,
Yet were all causes by their Kings decided,
Which did concerne the Church not State alone,
By Ezekia, David, Solomon,
Jehu, Jehosophat, Josia holy,
Whose power in Church was Legislative whollie.
To shew that this belongs in each respect
Unto the ancient Mishpat-Hamelek.
Melchisedeck expresly is nam'd King,

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Before he is cal'd Priest; which very thing
The Gallicks against Boniface do show,
His Crown he to the Priest-hood did not owe.
Moses, King in Iesurum too, their type
The Trumpets, and the Tables both did keep:
And what to him pertain'd God doeth allowe
To every other Monarch as his due.
This argument Eusebius doeth repeat
From Moses unto Constantin the great,
As consequent, about the convocation
Of the Nice Council, and its Confirmation.
The Law of Ceremonies as behests,
Moses, not Aaron, gave unto the Priests
Long after that; to shew it was in force,
David did constitute each Priest in's course;
And Solomon, that was both wise and just,
Did Abiathar from the Priest-hood thrust.
This pow'r continued, till the Virgins birth,
When God was seen in flesh upon the Earth;
Of which authority he nee'r bereft it:
But as he found the Government he left it.
And so the Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction
Of Princes is by nature, not by fiction,
Founded on reason, practice, and consent,
Unalterable, as the Firmament;
And this our Saviour did suppose to be
Ane uncontrolable, and firme decree:
Wherefore St. Paul to Cæsar makes appeal,
To shew this Iurisdiction cannot faile.
Thus Kings doe reign as Scriptures doe confess,
As for our Honestie, so Godliness.

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If it be said why did our Saviour
Bequeath not by his testament such a power?
Our Saviour lived under these ye know,
That did imploy their power to overthrow
His Church and followers, and therefore, why
Should he give them Commission to destroy?
He only to the subject did injoyn
Meekness and Patience and Subjection:
But in no-wayes, either in weight or measure
Determines he the rights belong to Cæsar;
Only according to Ius Gentium,
Render to Cæsar, what is due to him.
The Jurisdiction of the Magistrate
In Church affaires, bears a far higher date
Then our blist Saviours birth. Coercive power
By nature lodgeth in the Governour.
Yea Christ and his Apostles acted then
In the Capacitie of private men;
And left it only in the Soveraignes hand
(Which he forbad all subjects) to command:
And therefore at his very dying hour,
He did reject all Secularie power.
But when the Kings grew Christian, Constantine,
Did act in that capacitie again;
Which he with faith and Courage too did shew,
When he the Coventickles overthrew
Of the Curst Donatists, and stoutly he
Dispell'd the mists of Arian heresie.
Nor was he singular in these, each one
Of his Successors that same way have gone:
As the whole bodie of the civil Lawes

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Do shew anent th'Ecclesiastick cause.
And should a Monarch, (would ye think it meet)
When he turns Christian, his power abate?
Nay word by word, the Apostle he averts,
Our Kings as Kings, Liturgick Officers.
Prince of the Kings of th'Earth, our Saviour is:
Then sure by right all Christian Kings are his;
This was in force until St. Peters chaire
Did sleily rob this power from the Empire.
But at the Reformation we exprest it,
In our Confessions the Pope unjustly wrest it;
And yet there is a Spiritual exercise
Of preaching, Sacraments, and of the Keys,
Which is peculiar to the Priest alone:
Saul that did this mistake, he lost his throne;
All which who darr deny, he needs no more
Of arguments, But O what hellebore?

VI.

May not Heretical, Erronious,
Oppressing Princes and Idolatrous
Resisted be? or otherwayes Religion
Shall go to wrack, and all shall be undone.
Yes; if for wiser men ye needs must pass
Then Moses, (or th'inspired Prophets) was:
Or if your selves more holy men ye call
Then Christ, or yet St. Peter, or St. Paul.
Six hundred thousand, and four thousand more
Under their Chiftain Moses, weapons bore.
All men of valour on Nil's fertile plaines,
Whose Inundation serves in stead of raines;
Yet nothing's done without express consent

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Of Pharoah, then who had the Government,
Tho tyrant and oppressor both. And so
Shadrach, and Mesach and Abednego
Were thrown in flamms, yet not a word we hear
Of stirring people to take sword or speir.
And Daniel cast into the Lyons den,
Yet praying for the King Darius then.
Yea with a miracles expence Our Lord
Did tribut to Tiberius afford.
To Herod, Pilat, and the Sanhedrim
He did submit, although they sentenc't him,
Unto ane unjust, and accursed death.
His Doctrine too did meek submission breath,
Give unto Cæsar, what is Cæsars due,
And pray for those hes persecuted you.
And Pilats power he from above confest,

Iohn 19: 12.

And Challeng'd Peter for his furious hast,
Charging his Champion with that dreadful word,
Who takes the Sword, shall Perish with the Sword.
And for the Apostles, none amongst them all
Taught to resist; St. Peter, or St. Paul.
St. Peter sayes directly contrare it,
To every ordinance of man submit.
These that dispise dominion, or defame
Authority; Iudgement will follow them.
And good St. Paul, obey them that you rule,
For Conscience sake be Subject every Soul.
Resisters on themselves Damnation bring.
Ane Item sad to Traitors to the King.
This Doctrine with their blood they sealing Died;
Paul was beheaded, Peter Crucified.

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In Julian the vile Apostats reign
The Christians only tears for armes did bring.
They were not able to resist they'l say.
Tertullian, tells in his Apologie,
The Christians then, they were in number more
Then drops of raine or sands upon the Shore:
Cities and Countreys both, they fill in swarmes,
They every where abound in peace and armes;
Yet they Submission unto armes preferr,
Under a Tyrant and Idolater.
Six thousand and six hundred sixty six
In the Thebean Legion, never sticks
For to submit to Decimation,
Of Maximinian for Religion.
Then, Traitors is't a sport to you or laughter,
First to be hanged here, then damn'd hereafter.

VII.

Courage Great Prince, and make rogues stand in awe,
It's Execution that's the Life of Law;
Wherefore hes truth it self call'd Princes Gods?
But that they'r Masters of rewards and rods,
But that they can with Majesty command,
Or break in pieces who doe them withstand.
Princes do shew how they deserve their Crowns
By gracious favours, or by aw-full frownes.
Courage and Wisdom both a Prince maintaines.
Undaunton'd valour must have breast and braines.
Your Highness still makes good your Saviours words,
These that are mighty, are call'd bounteous Lords.
Patern of vertues Patron of all artes,
Who conquer'd Armies, now thou Conquers hearts:

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It will deserve what Noblie is begun
Immortal fame and admiration.
Damn'd Donatists, it was their Tessera,
Quid Imperatori cum Ecclesiâ.
And if our Donatists that same should plead,
Shew them, Great Constantin yet is not dead,
And make our tottering Church now steddy stand
With Papist there, Fanatick on this hand,
The Reprobats of Loyalty and Grace,
The Schilla and Charibdis of our Peace.
Exile them Sir, and let it be their doom
To be confin'd to Germany and Rome.
Theudas, or Iudas, if they rise in Armes,
Disperse them, Sir, and keep us from their harmes;
And make both Hills and Bridges exil'd be,
The confines of this ages memorie.
Make blinded Tobits too Apocriphal,
And banish them that do not know at all
Mens flesh by bread, nor yet what's in the cup,
Its dangerous with them to dine or sup:
For if their hand mistake or varie, then
They'r Polyphemus, we Ulysses men.
And when we are devoured, they will swear
They saw us not, but we did meat appear.
When we whom Neptune's Trident did divide,
And set a part from all the World beside,
Have by thy arts this Glorious Garland won,
In faith and Love united Albion;
Then on the head of thy triumphant Test,
Th'Eternal conquest of all trouble rest:
For it will teach (as God doeth) every Soul;

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What Kings commands, no Subjects may controul,
And in all after ages Christ'ned be
Ane Altar rais'd to Eternal Loyalty.