Where sometimes famous Christian Churches were Now Turkish Mosques do stand men adore The Imposture Mahomet where Christ before And those who yet retain a Christian name Have little else of Christ beside the same Their low estate allows no means to gain Such knowledge as is needful to retain Religion pure and perfect Besides must they To this great Turk the tenth child yearly pay The tenth is due O God! to thee alone And must an Infidel thy tribute owne This woe of all their woes is worst to see Their dearest children educated be In blinder Turcism made his Janizars Chief Souldiers against Christians in his Wars When cruel Herod mockt of the Wisemen slew So many Infants he did kindness shew Compared to this Turkish Tyranny For 't is a greater priviledge to die Innocent Martyrs and go hence to glory Than to be train'd up in the cosening story Of Mahomet Poor babes at once must you Be from Christs bosome and your Parents too By Tyrants-force thus miserably torn Better it were you never had been born Let us reflect and think did we now hear The approaching feet of Turkish Officer Entring to take away our darling child Oh what a plight should we be in how wild And quite beside themselves would surely be The tender Mothers of the Infantry Who that their senses have would not desire To see their tender Infants soul expire His brains dasht on the wall before his eyes And how the sprawling Corpse convulsing dies Rather than such should us of them bereave In thraldom and Idolatry to live But who do think on this with pity and Deplores not the sad state of Grecian Land Now then it were a noble enterprise If Christian Princes hearts and Arms would rise To pull down this proud Sultan and restore The Christian Faith where 't flourished before And free afflicted Greece once the Worlds eye From Turkish thraldom and Idolatry And all those Christian souls which yearly come Tribute and Captives from poor Christendome If th' English and Dutch Fleer would both combine T' assist the bold Venetian Worthy of Christian Valour they would make a designe The Vaunting Seigniour with his Gallies quake If throughout all Christendom were more Like those brave Knights of Malta who have swore Destruction to the Turks that would combine Quite to raze out the bloody Ottoman line Then Christendome might flourish and be free From Devastation and Captivitie God grant us Peace at home and send Us Victory abroad and end All Wars 'mong Christian men and cease The Plague his War with men In peace And health grant us to live that we Might still a happy Kingdom be But though the Lord in War on our side stood And gave us Victory for the price of blood Allaying this sore Judgment by success Which in the loss of lives makes grief go less Yet the Plague raging far and nigh destroyes With sweeping slaughter and doth damp our joys This casts my soul into a sad Reflection On the just Vengeance of such dire Infection REFLECTIONS ON THE PESTILENCE JER 9.9 Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this WHen the just God did visit London first Our danger less our fears were at the worst In every place men stood upon their guard And against Citizens kept Watch and Ward Had we done so against our sins before Less had our danger been our safety more But when this dire Destruction still doth last And round about us fearfully doth wast Harden'd by custom we do nothing fear Our dangers greater but who sheds a tear Our hearts are stone were they of marble kind 'T were well marble sometimes we weeping find On the great City of this sinful Land London with wealth and folk abounding and With sin the cause of woe too God first pour'd The brimful Vial of his wrath and showr'd His ireful Judgments There his Angel drew The Sword of Vengeance and that people slew At first by Tens which soon to Hundreds come Then Thousands weekly sent to their long-home The frighted Citizens begin to fly From House and Habitation lest they die They leave their livelyhood to save their life And where they come their coming makes a strife Lest they bring death with them Towns are in arms To keep out Citizens as mortal harms Waggons and Coaches still in every Road Are met with which they and their Goods do load Where they shall shelter find they scarce do know Yet durst not stay at home where e're they go Some who did thure in stately Houses dwell Now gladly creep into a Countrey-cell And others wandering up and down the Fields No Town or Village them admittance yields Thus from the Rod of God poor Sinners fly Not from their Crimes for which they smart die Alas what boots it from the Plague to start And bear with you a worse Plague in your heart Running will not secure you you 're undone Unless you know how from your selves to run Had you your selves forsaken when at home You need not thus about the Countrey roame Had you fled from your Sins before as fast You need not from the Plague have made such hast Had you been just and honest in your Trade To deal uprightly had a Conscience made False weights and measures and deceitful wares the snares False oaths equivocations lies For simple buyers had you never us'd Nor with great prizes Customers amus'd For which i' th' Countrey you a Proverb are You ask say they just like a Londoner Had not your Shops been Dens of such as theive And lie in wait cunningly to deceive Nay oftentimes your cosening with a shew Of honesty and goodness cloaked too No Plague had likely nigh your dwellings come You might securely still have staid at home Had you but kept your Conscience so you might Your Shops with comfort free from deadly fright But when you turn out Conscience first no doubt Gods Judgments after 't justly turn you out And if you e're get home again beware More Plagues in store for Sinners still there are But for a while here they resolve to be Till London shall be from Contagion free But there Contagion is from which I fear You 'le never find the sinful City clean But now le ts think on those who stay behind Distrest in Body and Estate and Mind Who know not where to sly and fear to stay But yet must bear the burthen of the day A wrathful day a dismal time wherein Thousands receive the wages of their sin Some have no Friends to go to nor yet Coin To make them any some the Laws enjoyn To stay and do their Office some presume And others trust no Plague shall them consume But it increases spreads destroyes doth make Such as remain for fear of death to quake Now might you see red Crosses there great store And Lord have mercy upon many a doore The Wardsman standing as if he were
we still provoke the God of Heaven And therefore I proceed to add an Hortatory part perswading to Repentance and Obedience to Gods Laws as the most certain cure of our Calamities and sure way to have better times which if as we hope our woes are in a manner past yet may be of good use to us all for the securing us in a flourishing condition for time to come the Prosperity of any People usually ebbing and flowing with their Piety and Virtue And so at last I add a Consolatory Part as a Cordial for to chear the penitent and humble introducing there the Historical Relation of our War omitted in the First Part. The three first Parts I have composed in a familiar kind of compleat Verse as being for the most part Reprehensive and Hortatory therein condescending to the meanest capacities as meant for the use and benefit of all In the last where the Subject is more Heroick suitably I use quattrains closing the sense with a compleat and rise to a little higher though not aiming if I could attain it at a lofty strain I seek where to make my Verse serve my Subject and not subject my nobler matter to my Metre Now candid Reader I hope the sincerity and integrity of my Design in this Work may obtain an Apology for any defects in the management and the Divinity excuse the want of Phansie I do more than suspect I shall fall under the censure of seduced Sectaries though piously affected because I tax their Errors of Vitious persons though loyal and conformable because I tax their vices of Hypocrites especially such as mask traiterous and factious designs with pious pretences to seduce the People because I lay them open to the world furtivis nudatos coloribus and tax their villanies however palliated as contributing to our Calamities But my Prayer to God is that he would open all their eyes and turn their hearts the first to follow after Truth the second Holiness and the third sort the Truth of Holiness then I am sure we should be a flourishing Church and Nation If thou blame me Reader for any where ripping up old sores I will assure thee I do not otherwise than for fear that false Prophets have healed the hurt of the Daughter of our People slightly to let out the corruption the right way by Repentance lest they fester and break inwardly and kill their souls If thou complain of rough handling know it is done with a Chirurgeons heart to heal and not wound and if my Patient cry out of me in searching his sore as an Enemy I am well assured if he would suffer the cure he would acknowledge me in the end to be his friend and when in searching thy sore I touch thee to the quick lay thine hand on thine own heart confessing thy corruption and sin rather than stretch out that or move thy tongue to smite me who only mean thy health and welfare Read on and the sweetness of Consolation at last will allay the tartness of Reprehension before nauseate therefore nothing herein since all will do thee good if thou with candor receive and digest it Accept then kindly what is intended sincerely for Gods thy Souls and this Nations glory from him who is Thine in the Lord Jesus John Tabor To the Reader REader suspend thy Censure till thou run The whole Book over and when that is done The Author's meaning rightly understood That his Design if not his Verse is good I doubt not thou wilt say and when you see He layes our Woes on our Impietie Think not one Sin or Party he alone Doth here accuse but all and every one Assure thy self the Author doth designe That Times may mend to mend his heart and thine Curteous Reader Before thou peruse this Book I intreat thee for thine own sake to turn to and correct or supply with thy Pen these mistakes and omissions of the Printer and let not his Errors be imputed to the Author who fears some will judge he hath enough herein to answer for of his own but desires thou wilt courteously mend the Printers and candidly forgive his Errata In the Epistle to the Reader page 4. line 2. 7. for compleat r. couplet l. 9. before where add every in the Poem p. 17. l. 10. for Chelmford r. Chelmsford p. 21. l. 17. for then r. thence p. 25. l. 2 before stuffe add their pag. 30. that which is under an asterism in the margent refers to the asterism upon Lud in the next page and the asterism in the margent p. 31. answers to this on Brute p. 30. p. 32. l. 25. for land r. laud p. 33. for lately r. late p. 36. l. 21. before mere blot out are p. 37. l. 11. before him blot out of l. 14. for swettest r. sweetest p. 38. l. 7. for to r. too p. 44. l. 12. for first r. first 's p. 50. l. 8. for religious r. religions p. 56. l. 7. before glory add bliss and p. 62. l. 19. for convey r. conveys pag. 63. l. 2. before please blot out doth p. 66. l. 28. for sottishness r. foolishness p. 80. in marginal note for countries r. country as p. 81. l. 16. for own r. one Seasonable Thoughts IN SAD TIMES Reflections on the War WHere e're I go the sighing Air rebounds Sad Ecchoes to my heart and doleful sounds Of Lamentation still the Plague and War In ev'ry place the talk of all mouths are The Funeral Knells continually ring In mortal ears and thundering Guns do sing In the reporting Air by both are brought Nothing but death and slaughter to our thought Death rules at Land devouring as he please And sight who will he 's Master on the Seas Thousands at Land away he weekly sweeps By Sea he Hundreds swallows in the deeps From one poor City in few months he hurl'd So many thousands to another World As against this would a stout Army be Unsatiate yet in Town and Country he Hath slain so many Thousands as might serve An Alexander for a sure reserve If to content his great ambitious mind Another World to conquer he could find These are the dire effects Oh God! of our Transgressions and thy just avenging pow'r Did then the Persian Cyrus from an Hill Beholding his huge Host his Eye-lids fill With brackish tears to think one age revol'd All those would into ashes be resolv'd And shall so many Christians in one year Be turn'd to dust and we not shed a tear O that my head a Fountain wore and I Could vent a stream of grief from either eye Weep and blot out of Sin the crimson stain Whereby the Daughter of my People 's slain Sometimes I sit in pensive posture and Form sad Ideas of the Sea and Land How while the proud insulting Dutch and we Contend in dreadful Fights for Masterie Hell opes her mouth and in few hours receives Such crouds of Souls as no time ere retrieves Of Bodies such huge numbers sinking then
As threaten to Earth up the Sea with men So that our Ships may for the future strand On shelves of bodies not on shelves of sand Methinks I see the swelling billows boil Heat by the fire doth from the Guns recoil The roaring Guns which pierce the parting air With terror we on Land far distant hear They shake the massie Earth and thunder like Houses and Windows into trembling strike And each broad side which strikes my ear I think Now a brave Ship with braver Men doth sink Enraged Mortals striving to out-vie Thunder and Lightning in the lofty skie Darken the air with smoak but fire gives light Or they at noon-day would scarce see to sight Blood from the reeking Decks into the Main Pours down like water in a showr of Rain Discolouring the Ocean by its fall As if 't would turn it to a Red-Sea all Fire-ships set all on flames and make a show As Subterranean fires were from below Broke through the waves and one would think no doubt Fire strove to drink up Sea Sea to quench out The fire and men by their contentious action Put all the Elements into distraction But themselves rue most while the bloody sight Gives blood to them who do in war delight Now on the Decks some shriek with painful And others sinking are in deadly swounds wounds Here a Commander falls th' Opponents hollow The Souldiers soon in death their Leader follow Here from torn shoulder flies an arm and there From shatter'd thigh a leg the bullets tear Here wags a head off this mans brains are dasht Full in the next mans face his bowels pasht On his next neighbour and a third is found Groaning his soul out at a wide-mouth'd wound Here Bullets force drives a heart out which dies To mortals rage a bloody Sacrifice There a head from the bloody neck is rent Mounting as if to hit the Sun it meant Thus the Dutch heads we well may wish to rise And be lift up above their Enemies But I had rather we and they in Peace Might live and War might from all Nations cease Had not Astraea left the Earth and rage Possest mens bosomes in this Iron age Had not sin first divided men from God Then from themselves scattering all abroad To seek new Countries all had still been one Language and People letting Warr alone Sin is the onely make-bate in the World That hath all things into Contention hurl'd But since the Prince of Peace his happy birth Who came to reconcile both things on Earth And things in Heaven methinks those who professe Themselves his Subjects from all wars should cease One faith should be of force hearts to unite In love as much as e're one language might The second Adam should all his restore To the same concord which they had before By nature in the first and not pursue Their Christian Brethren like a Turk or Jew But what a grief 't is to good hearts to see Christians among themselves thus disagree And those for whom Christ spilt his blood life To shed each others blood in lust and strife That those who when they go to sight doe pray To the same God that each may have the day And both doe hope alike in death to be Translated hence to Heavens felicitie Should one another with such fury kill And râ—uch rejoyce each others blood to spill Good Lord how will Heav'n quietly hold those Souls who just now were here such deadly foes If some of either side to Heav'n do come And both to Dutch and English be their home Could Heav'n admit repentance grief and sorrow Find a place there those souls would surely borrow Time from their heav'nly joys this to repent And their unchristian feuds below lament Lament now Christians and leave of your slaughter There 's no bewailing but in Hell hereafter Yet 't is to be bewail'd that such a slood By Christian hands is shed of Christian blood Thus we contend to blood but all the while The holy Spirit grieves and Devils smile All the good Angels too are grieved for 't But your Contention makes the Devils sport And the slain carkases of Christians drest In blood and wounds make Lucifer a Feast And at these broils the Infidels do laugh Christians should weep but yet the most do quaff Such direful deeds just God thou sufferest Sinners for their transgressions to infest In times when blood and wounds make such ado O that our hearts were rightly wounded too And with just grief could bleed as fast as those Poor hearts who have been pierced by their foes Slack Christians slack your fury and employ Your noble Valour for a Victory More worthy praise than any you can gain By numbers of your Christian Brethren slain You Souldiers by Profession are your life A warfare and you must here live in strife But 't is a strife more with your selves than others ' Gainst certain foes and not your Christian brothers The World the Flesh the Devil these are those You must still combate with as mortal foes To your immortal bliss and these will find Tough work enough for the most warlike mind But while with Christian men we do contest We cherish and serve these foes in our brest The World rejoyces Devil takes delight Lusts of the flesh are pleas'd when Christians sight Le ts turn our force then against them and shew What noble acts our Valour there can do The Lord of Hosts our Captain is and will With Armour furnish you courage and skill You need not doubt success at all for he Who fights Gods battails shall have Victorie One lust subdued will you more glory gain Than he whose single Arm an Host hath slain For 't is more honour to o're-come within Our selves our lusts than Cities wall'd to win Great Alexander who subdued all Nations Continued slave still to his lustful Passions Be of good courage then subdue your sin And an eternal Crown and Kingdom win Or if the Warriours spirit can't be laid But it will still in blood and slaughter trade Let Christians valiant and victorious arm Turn to do Turks and Infidels the harm Which now amongst our selves we daily feel And let the Heathen fall upon our Steel There might be rais'd another holy War More truly holy than the first by far Not to get Canaan a Land accurst As well for Jews as Canaanites at first But the insulting Sultan to restrain Who hath so many thousand Christians slain And with his Hundred Thousands oft doth come Pouring destruction into Christendome Forraging wasting all with Fire and Sword Defying and blaspheming Christ our Lord. Leading away such as the Sword doth spare Into a bondage worse than death by far O that all Christian Princes could agree To hamper this Leviathan and free From his outragious Inroades all those Borders Of Christendom where he commits his murders The Asiatick Churches when I think upon Mention'd in Saint John's Revelation Oh how it grieves my heart to think that there
like a Snake chang'd skin and hew Nor did it alwayes scape the fire before But in the Conquerours twentieth year it bore Such marks of wasting Flames as at this day The greatest part in ruines then did lay Saint Paul's which Ethelbert of Saxon men First Christian King did build was burnt down then This Erkenwald its Bishop had enlarg'd Adorn'd Enricht all which this fire discharg'd But the next year Mauritius piouslie Another Prelate of this Ancient See Laid the foundation of a far more fair Magnificent and stately Structure there Which in process of time by bounteous hand Of pious Benefactors late did stand This Nations glory others envy and Not to be paralel'd in Christian Land The boasted of fair Church of Nostre Dame In Paris might be Handmaid to this same When our St. Paul was in his pomp I trow Their Lady set by him would make no show Until the Steeples Heav'n assaulting Spire By Lightning sent from Heav'n was set on fire As if this seem'd to imitate the pride Of Babel builders whom God did deride This lofty Pyramis he burned down Which fire seis'd on Paul's roof sing'd his crown And with its smutty beams scorched his head Black't and defac't the whole Structure and made Paul look more like to such as did him mark An Ethiopian than an English Clark The marks of which he for a long time bore Nor could regain his beauty as before Till to the Land of God and his own praise The Reverend Archbishop Land did raise Paul's to its pristine glory till late times When Sacriledge Rebellion no crimes But Vertues were accounted Some mens zeal Could devour whole Cathedrals at a meal Christ's zeal for Gods House eat him up more odd Was this their zeal eat up the House of God The holy Tribe and service they cast out Brought Horses in the more beasts they no doubt Thus these Phanaticks O abominable Turned the House of God into a Stable And Reformation was there never stranger Where Altars stood to set up Rack and Manger Temple profaners must on the sacred sloore Your Horses dung What could the Turks do more The Jews indeed did less they to a Den Turned Gods Temple but it was of men Though thieves but these more brutish for the nonce Make it a den of thieves and beasts at once And by such usage Paul declin'd a pace The Souldiers gave him deep scars on his face His Walls lookt sadly and his Gates did mourn Until the late miraculous return Of King and Bishops who remov'd th' abuse And Paul's restor'd unto its pristine use And daily did re-edifie repair All parts about it which lately ruin'd were But by this raging fire which now befell The City sparing neither Church nor Cell Paul 'mong the rest into his Grave is thrown Whence we expect his Resurrection In King and Bishops to good works inclin'd We Ethelbert and Erkenwalds to find And generous Mauritus too do trust Who will redeem Paul's once more from its dust Nor do I doubt did we but lay to heart The causes of our woes by which we smart Or would this stubborn Nation but endure The means of their Recovery and Cure Th' Almighty would in mercy soon restore The City to its beauty or to more It should not long as now in ruines lie Nor noise of War our borders terrifie The killing Plague should in all places cease Our Land enjoy Prosperity and Peace Let us consider then of all our woe The Cause the Cure we shall the better know The Cause of our Calamities THE Cause of all in highest Heav'ns I seek And in our sinful bosomes which do reek With boiling lust whence sinful deeds do rise As vapours from the Earth above the Skies Ascend and make those clouds of Gods just ire Which thunder'd forth the War lightned the Fire And did on this provoking people pour Of mortal sickness a contagious showr Not for the causes meerly natural Of all these woes or means instrumental Search I but for the prime efficient And inward moving cause were our hearts rent With due contrition this we soon might spy Deep in our brests for that we must look high God is the Author and our Sins the Spring Which on us all these dreadful Plagues do bring How many Atheists in this Land do dwell Even Owles at Athens blind in Israel There is no God say some fools in their heart VVhom war nor Plague would from their Atheism start Sure by the light of the late dreadful fire They 'le see their folly and the light that 's higher How many with corporeal fancies serve That God who is all Spirit others swerve From his prescription after their own will Do worship him and are devoutly ill Many a swearing cursing miscreant As Devils upon Earth each place doth haunt And do blaspheme Gods sacred Name in spight Of all Plagues wish a Plague and take delight To tear Christs wounds afresh make him bleed Pray to be damn'd but sure they shall not need When neither war nor plague would these affright God fir'd their Houses 'bout their ears to light Them to Repentance and thus let them see An Embleme of the Worlds Catastrophe And an Epitome of that Hell Infernal In which the wicked after death must burn all How many do neglect contemn profane All holy times consecrate to God's Name And service now How is the zeal grown cold Which thronged Christian Churches so of old Scarce the tenth part will in some places come To Church but most do idley stay at home Or to Schismatical Assemblies run Or make an halt until the Pray'rs be done Of those who in our Churches do appear How few with reverence and godly fear Behave themselves some do in Taverns wast Those precious hours when here their souls should feast And one would think when such a Plague God sent All Christians now would fast pray and repent But on the Fasting days Good Lord how few Will come before thee and for mercy sue All Holy-days are mere Play-days now are made Or consecrate to drunken Baechus trade Church doors are open'd bells ring for fashion But th' Alehouse hath the greater Congregation Gods House indeed is styl'd the House of Pray'r But if no Preaching be few will come there They think 't not worth the while to call on God Even when they groan under his scourging Rod They hear and hear but never learn to do Those duties which all Preaching tendeth to Others whose lusts and sins the Word controuls Nauseate all Preaching Physick for their Souls And the seduced people whose blind eyes See not of Christ the saving mysteries Yet wholesome Chatechizing wont endure For their Souls blindness though the only cure Thus is Gods Service crucified between Two thieves like him and in his House is seen A den of thieves one sort rob of him of Pray'r The other rob their souls of his Word there And for the blessed Sacrament so full Of
sweetest consolation to the dull A quickning goad to weak a strong support Assurance to the fearful and a fort To tempted Christians to such as for sin cry An Handkerchief dipt in Christs blood to dry Their sorrow up a Cordial to the faint An heav'nly banquet to the humble Saint How few will sit themselves draw nigh and tast This soul refreshing mystical repast 'T was one effect of our late Reformation T' exile this Sacrament out of the Nation Almost some towns in twenty years had not Any Communion they had forgot Do this in remembrance of me and now They 've lost their stomacks by long fasting how To bring them to an appetite once more That the Lords Table may of guests have store We scarce do know they have been so affrighted From that wherewith their souls should be delighted Their Preachers sounding in their ears damnation To scare them from Communion profanation Which was indeed to rise 'mong some that durst Approach without due Preparation first But still forgetting equally to press Their duty to receive though in the dress Of Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie That in contempt did as much peril lie The poor deluded people did believe The only danger was if they receive Fly from their Souls food as their certain bane To whom Christs Institution is in vain So strangely Gods Commandements were then Made void by the Traditions of these men Now this luke-warmness to Gods worship we May both in Countrey and in City see For such contempt of Christs Authoritie Might justly some be sick some weak some die Mens coldness kindled wrath that fire anon To make them fervent in Religion You would not come to Church a while ago No Churches now you have to come unto The Gates of Sion mourn'd ' cause few or none Would enter there but now you make your mone And mourn for Sions gates ' cause they are burn'd With fire and to a heap of ashes turn'd Sion before in silence did lament Because so few her solemn Feasts frequent Now you may mourn in silence sigh and fast For that the places of her Feasts be wast Thus want of zeal hath sir'd the House of God Neglect of Worship Temples hath destroy'd Nor could you look but that which burned down God's Houses thus must needs consume your own Thus justly may the War Plague Fire and all For our neglect to serve God on us fall How many disobedient are to all Their Parents civil spiritual natural How rife's Rebellion while the People strive With Prince and Priest neither due reverence give Their Princes Laws the people think not right The Priests their Prelates admonition slight Servants rebel against their Masters and Wives disobey their Husbands sit command Children their loving Parents honour not Obedience among all sorts is forgot What swarms have we of stubborn Sectaries Who all Dominion boldly do despise Nor are afraid to speak of Dignities All kind of evil though most grievous lies The Ark had but one Cham our Church many Who glad their Fathers nakedness to spy With most reproachful mocks and taunts discover And blazon it abroad the Nation over Nay rather than Fathers in Church or State Shall want the ruder peoples scorn and hate Such whet their tongues to tell the smoothest lies Which these to pop'lar scorn may sacrifice Rebellion though as sin of witchcraft reigns Among this headstrong people whom no reins Of Law will rule no Power curb or awe From following their will their will 's a law To them alone who without fear or shame Publickly their perversness do proclaim Saying if they were not commanded to These and these things they would them freely do O stubborn people shall there ever rest Spirits of Contradiction in your brest Hath God stampt his Authority upon Your Governours and do you think they 've none Hath he said they are Gods and will ye then Give less respect to them than other men Counsels of whispering Seducers how Prone to observe and promptly follow you Are but how backwards to obey we see Lawful Commands of just Authoritie And is the lawfulness and duty less Because enjoyn'd nay more your stubbornness To disobey God is contemned sure And such contempt from men will not endure Yet when for peoples sins he Plagues hath sent They oft impute them to the Government So the rebellious mutineers of old VVhen the Earth strangely swallowed up those bold Conspirators of Corah's faction cry'd Ye the Lords people kill'd Gods hand denied Moses and Aaron with that slaughter charg'd Till God by his just judgment them discharg'd By a sad Plague sweeping these murmurers thence Brought the whole Camp into another sense Now when the like sins among us are spread Shall we not say for these are many dead Gods Judgments are a great deep if we dive Too far we drown all Charity alive Preserve censoriousness believe I do All sorts have sin'd all sorts have suffer'd too Yet all may hear what some observe and dread Most factious places are most visited Have we not murmurers among us too Like to rebellious Corah and his crew VVill what is Moses and what Aaron say Are we not all holy as well as they To rule and sacrifice all would have pow'r Might not for this a fire from God devour The City which as eminent in sin Hath exemplary now in judgment been That whilome was rebellions spring and nurse And seem'd back-sliding to the former course Is now of England's woe and sorrow source Sin no more so lest you are plagued worse What murthers in this Land committed were For Civil Wars on one side murthers are And God doth know to whose charge shall be laid That blood which in our Civil Wars was shed Blood is a crying sin so much was spilt This Nation cannot but be deep in guilt Especially when Royal blood hath been Profanely shed no doubt a roaring sin And who doth know but the just God doth make Now Inquisition for that blood and take Due Vengeance on us for that barbarous fact The like whereto no Nation ere did act Unless those cursed Jews who crucified Their Saviour for which they still abide The wrath of God and shame of men as we For that through all the world reproached be Nor need we wonder judgment was delaid That this same Vengeance was no sooner paid If it should be for this For God is wont To call men to Repentance first he don't Suddenly punish but gives means and time That men may see and sorrow for their crime And so prevent the Plague now all the while Usurpers rul'd Our King was in exile None openly of this might speak a word Which to deluded people could afford Due Information of these hainous crimes Which past for Vertues in those cheating times But since the Throne and Pulpit too were free From Gulls Impostors and their knavery Since all men saw what ever such pretended In Self-advancement their Religion ended Since the Saints coat was pulled o're their