Or is 't religion? What then mean your lyes,
Your facrileges, and pulpit-blafphemies?
Why are all fects let loofe that ere had birth,
Since Luther's noife wak'd the lethargic earth?
The Author went no further.

O two rude waves, by ftorms together thrown,
Roar at each other, fight, and then grow one.
Religion is a circle; men contend,

And run the round in difpute, without end:
Now, in a circle, who go contrary,
Muft, at the laft, meet of neceffity.
The Roman Catholic, to advance the caufe,
Allows a lye, and calls it Pia Fraus;
The Puritan approves and does the fame,
Diflikes nought in it but the Latin name:
He flows with his devices, and dares lye
In very deed, in truth, and verity.
He whines, and fighs-out lyes with fo much ruth,
As if he griev'd 'caufe he could ne'er speak truth.
Lyes have poffefs'd the prefs fo, as their due,
"Twill fearce, I fear, henceforth print Bibles true.
Lyes for their next strong fort ha' th' pulpit chofe;
There they throng out at th' preacher's mouth and nofe,
And, howe'er grofs, are certain to beguile
The poor book-turners of the middle ifle;
Nay, to th' Almighty's felf they have been bold
To lye; and their blafphemous minister told,

They might fay falfe to God; for if they were
Beaten, he knew 't not, for he was not there.
But God, who their great thankfulness did fee,
Rewards them ftrait with another victory,
Just such an one as Brentford; and, fans doubt,
Will weary, ere 't be long, their gratitude out.
Not all the legends of the faints of old,
Not vast Baronius, nor fly Surius, hold
Such plenty of apparent lyes as are

In your own author, Jo. Browne, Cleric. Par.
Befides what your fmall poets faid or writ,
Brookes, Strode, and the baron of the faw-pit :
With many a mental refervation,

You'll maintain liberty :-Referv'd “ your own.'
For th' public good the fums rais'd you 'll disburse;
-Referv'd "the greater part, for your own purse."
You'll root the Cavaliers out, every man;
-Faith, let it be Referv'd here "if ye can."
You'll make our gracious Charles a glorious king;
—Reserv'd “ in heaven"-for thither ye would bring
His royal head; the only secure room

For kings; where fuch as you will never come.
To keep th' eftates o' th' fubjects you pretend;
-Referv'd" in your own trunks." You will defend
The church of England, 'tis your proteftation;
But that's "New"-England by a small Reservation,
Power of difpenfing oaths the Papists claim;
Cafe hath got leave of God to do the fame :
For you do hate all fwearing so, that when
You've fworn an oath, ye break it ítrait again.

A curfe

A curfe upon you! which hurts moft these nations,
Cavaliers' fwearing, or your protestations?
Nay, though oaths be by you so much abhor'd,
Y'allow "God damn me" in the Puritan Lord.
They keep the Bible from laymen; but ye
Avoid this, for ye have no laity.

They in a foreign and unknown tongue pray,
You in an unknown fenfe your prayers fay;
So that this difference 'twixt you does enfue,-
Fools understand not them, not wife men you.
They an unprofitable zeal have got

Of invocating faints, that hear them not :

'Twere well you did fo; nought may more be fear'd,
In your fond prayers, than that they fhould be heard.
To them your nonfenfe well enough might pass,
They 'd ne'er fee that i' th' divine looking-glafs.
Nay, whether you 'd worship faints is not known,
For ye 'ave as yet, of your religion, none.

They by good-works think to be justify'd:
You into the fame error deeper flide;
You think by works too justify'd to be,
And thofe ill-works-lyes, treason, perjury.
But, oh! your faith is mighty; that hath been,
As true faith ought to be, of things unseen :
At Wor'fter, Brentford, and Edgehill, we fee,
Only by faith, ye 'ave got the victory.

Such is your faith, and fome fuch unfeen way
The public faith at last your debts will pay.

They hold free-will (that nought their fouls may

bind)

As the great privilege of all mankind:

You

intent

You 're here more moderate; for 'tis your
To make 't a privilege but of parliament.
They forbid priests to marry: you worse do;
Their marriage you allow, yet punish too;
For you 'd make priests fo poor, that upon all
Who marry fcorn and beggary must fall.

They a bold power o'er facred fcriptures take,
Blot out fome claufes, and fome new ones make :
Your great lord Jefuit Brookes publickly said
(Brookes, whom too little learning hath made mad),
That to correct the Creed ye fhould do well,
And blot-out Chrift's defcending into hell.
Repent, wild man! or you'll ne'er change, I fear,
The fentence of your own defcending there.

Yet modeftly they use the Creed; for they
Would take the Lord's-Prayer root and branch away :
And wifely faid a Levite of our nation,

The Lord's-Prayer was a Popish innovation.
Take heed, you'll grant ere long it should be said,
An 't be but to defire your daily bread.

They keep the people ignorant: and you
Keep both the people and yourfelves fo too.
They blind obedience and blind duty teach:
You blind rebellion and blind faction preach;
Nor can I blame you much, that ye advance
That which can only fave you, Ignorance;
Though, Heaven be prais'd! 't has oft been proved

well,

Your ignorance is not invincible:

Nay

Nay, fuch bold lyes to God himself ye vaunt,
As if you 'd fain keep him too ignorant.

Limbus and Purgatory they believe,
For leffer finners ; that is, I conceive,
Malignants only: you this trick does please;
For the fame cause ye 've made new Limbuses,
Where we may lie imprison'd long, ere we
A day of judgment in your courts fhall fee.
But Pym can, like the Pope, with this dispense,
And for a bribe deliver fouls from thence.

Their councils claim infallibility:
Such must your Conventicle-fynod be;

And teachers from all parts of th' earth ye call,
To make 't a Council Oecumenical.

They feveral times appoint from meats' t' abftain
You now for th' Irish wars a fait ordain;
And, that that kingdom might be sure to fast,
Ye take a course to starve them all at laft:
Nay, though ye keep no eves, Fridays, nor Lent,
Not to drefs meat on Sundays you 're content;
Then you repeat, repeat, and pray, and pray,
Your teeth keep fabbath, and tongues working-day.
They preferve relicks : you have few or none,
Unless the clout fent to John Pym be one;
Or Holles's rich widow, the who carry'd
A relick in her womb before she marry'd.

They in fucceeding Peter take a pride:

So do you; for your mafter ye 'ave deny'd.

But chiefly Peter's privilege ye choose,
At your own wills to bind and to unloose.