Quoth Ralph, Truly that is no
Hard Matter for a Man to do,
That has but any Guts in's Brains,
And could believe it worth his Pains.
But fince you dare and urge me to it,
You'll find I've Light enough to do it.
Synods are Mystical Bear-Gardens,
Where Elders, Deputies, Church-Wardens,
And other Members of the Court,
Manage the Babylonifh Sport.
For Prolocutor, Scribe, and Bear-ward,
Do differ only in a mere Word.
Both are but fev'ral Synagogues
Of Carnal Men, and Bears and Dogs:
Both Antichriftian Assemblies,
To Mischief bent as far's in them lies:
Both stave and tail with fierce Contests,
The one with Men, the other Beasts.
The Diff'rence is, the one fights with
The Tongue, the other with his Teeth;
And that they bait but Bears in this,
In t'other Souls and Confciences;
Where Saints themselves are brought to ftake
For Gofpel-Light and Confcience fake';
Expos'd to Scribes and Prefbyters,
Inftead of Maftive Dogs and Curs;
Than whom th' have lefs Humanity,
For thefe at Souls of Men will fly.
This to the Prophet did appear,
Who in a Vifion faw a Bear,
Prefiguring the Beaftly Rage
Of Church-Rule, in this latter Age:
As is demonstrated at full
By him that baited the Pope's Bull.
Bears nat' rally are Beafts of Prey,
That live by Rapine; So do they.
What are their Orders, Conftitutions,
Church-Cenfures, Curfes, Abfolutions,
But fevral Myftick Chains they make,
To tye poor Chriftians to the Stake?
And then fet Heathen Officers,
Inftead of Dogs, about their Ears.
For to prohibit and difpenfe,
To find out or to make Offence;
Of Hell and Heaven to difpofe,
To play with Souls at fast and loose;
To fet what Characters they please,
And Mules on Sin or Godliness;
Reduce the Church to Gofpel Order,
By Rapine, Sacrilege, and Murther;
To make Prefbytery fupream,
And Kings themselves fubmit to them
And force all People, though against
Their Confciences, for to turn Saints,
Muft
prove a pretty thriving Trade,
When Saints Monopolifts are made.
When Pious Frauds and Holy fhifts
Are Difpenfations and Gifts,
There Godliness becomes mere Ware,
And ev'ry Synod but a Fair.
Synods are Whelps of th' Inquifition,
A Mungrel Breed of like Pernicion,
And growing up became the Sires,
Of Scribes, Commiffioners, and Triers ;
Whofe bus'nefs is, by cunning flight
To caft a figure for Mens Light
To find in Lines of Beard and Face,
The Phyfiognomy of Grace;
And by the Sound and Twang of Nofe,
If all be found within disclose
Free from a Crack or Flaw of Sinning,
As Men,try Pipkins by the Ringing;
By Black Caps, underlaid with White,
Give certain Guefs at inward Light:
Which Serjeants at the Gospel wear,
To make the Spiritual Calling clear.
The Handkerchief about the Neck
(Canonical Crabat of Smeck,
From whom the Inftitution came,
When Church and State they fet on Flame,
And worn by them as Badges then
Of Spiritual Warfaring Men)
Judge rightly if Regeneration
Be of the Newest Cut in Fashion.
Sure 'tis an Orthodox Opinion,
That Grace is founded on Dominion.
Great Piety confifts in Pride;
To rule is to be fanctify'd:
To domineer, and to controul
Both o'er the Body and the Soul,
Is the most perfect Difcipline
Of Church-Rule, and by Right Divine.
Bell and the Dragon's Chaplains were
More moderate than these by far:
For they (poor Knaves) were glad to cheat,
their Wives and Children Meat ;
But thefe will not be fobb'd off so,
They must have Wealth and Power too,
Or elfe with Blood and Defolation
They'll tear it out o'th' Heart o'th' Nation.
Sure these themselves from Primitive
And Heathen Priesthood do derive,
When Butchers were the only Clerks,
Elders and Prefbyters of Kirks
Whole Directory was to kill :
And fome believe it is fo ftill.
The only Diff'rence is, that then
They flaughter'd only Beafts, now Men.
For then to facrifice a Bullock,
Or now and then a Child to Moloch,
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