Greater, or lefs, than to forbear,
And that you are forfworn, forfwear.
But first, o' th' firft: The Inward Man,
And Outward, like a Clan and Clan,
Have always been at Daggers-drawing:
And one another Clapper-clawing:
Not that they really cuff, or fence,
But in a Spiritual Myftick sense ;
Which to mistake, and make 'em fquabble,
In literal Fray's abominable;

'Tis Heathenish, in frequent use
With Pagans, and Apoftate Jews,
To offer Sacrifice of Bridewells:
Like Modern Indians to their Idols,
And mungril Chriftians of our times,
That exp'ate lefs with greater Crimes ;
And call the foul Abomination

Contrition, and Mortification.

Is't not enough we' re bruis'd and kicked
With finful Members of the wicked;
Our Veffels, that are fanctify'd,

Profan'd and curry'd, back and fide;

But

But we must claw our felves with fhameful
And Heathen stripes, by their example?
Which (were there nothing to forbid it)
Is Impious, because they did it.

This therefore may be juftly reckon'd
A Heinous Sin. Now to the fecond,
That Saints may claim a Difpenfation

です

To fwear and forfwear, on Occafion;
I doubt not, but it will appear

With pregnant Light. The Point is clear:

Oaths are but Words, and Words but Winds
Too feeble Implements to bind
And hold with Deeds proportion, fo
As Shadows to a Subftance do.

Then when they strive for place, 'tis fit
The Weaker Vessel thou'd fubmit

Although your Church be oppofite

To ours, as Black-Friars are to White,
In Rule and Order; yet I grant

You are a Reformado Saint;

And what the Saints do claim as due,

You may pretend a Title to:

But Saints, whom Oaths or Vows oblige,
Know little of their Privilege;
Farther (I mean) than carrying on
Some felf-advantage of their own:
For if the Dev'l to ferve his turn

Can tell Truth, why the Saints fhou'd fcorn,'
When it ferves theirs, to fwear and lie,'
I think there's little reason why :

Elfe h' has a greater pow'r than they,
Which 'twere Impiety to fay;

Ware not commanded to forbear

Indef'nitely at all to fwear;

But to fwear idly, and in vain,
Without Self-Intereft or Gain;
For breaking of an Oath, and Lying,
Is but a kind of Self-denying,

A Saint-like Vertue, and from hence
Some have broke Oaths by Providence:

Some to the Glory of the Lord,

Perjur'd themfelves, and broke their Word:

And this the conftant Rule and Practice

Of all our late Apoftles Acts is.

Was

Was not the Caufe at first begun

With Perjury, and carry'd on?

Was there an Oath the Godly took,
But in due time and place they broke?
Did we not bring our Oaths in first,
Before our Plate, to have the m burst,
And caft in fitter Models for

The prefent ufe of Church and War?
Did not our Worthies of the Houfe,
Before they broke the Peace, break Vows?
For having freed us, first, from both
Th' Allegiance and Supremac’-Oath ;
Did they not next compel the Nation,
To take and break the Proteftation?
To fwear, and after to recant
The Solemn League and Covenant?
To take th' Engagement, and difclaim it,
Enforc'd by those who firft did frame it?
Did they not fwear at first to fight
For the KING'S Safety, and His Right
And after march'd to find him out,

And charg'd him home with Horfe and Foot;

But yet ftill had the confidence,
To fwear, it was in his defence?
Did they not fwear to live and dye
With Essex, and straight laid him by?
If that were all, for fome have swore
As falfe as they, if th' did no more.
Did they not fwear to maintain Law,
In which that fwearing made a Flaw?
For Proteftant Religion vow,
That did that Vowing difallow?
For Privelege of Parliament,

In which that fwearing made a Rent ?
And fince of all the three not one
Is left in being, 'tis well known.
Did they not fwear, in exprefs Words,
To prop and back the Houfe of Lords?
And after turn'd out the whole Houfe-full
Of Peers, as dang'rous, and unusefull?
So Cromwell, with deep Oaths and Vows,
Swore all the Commons out o' th' House,
Vow'd that the Red-Coats would disband,
Ay marry would he, at their Command.

Aud