LMIGHTY Lord, who from thy glorious throne
Seeft and rulest all things ev'n as one :
The fmalleft ant or atom knows thy power;
Known alfo to each minute of an hour:
Much more do Commonwealths acknowledge thee,
And wrap their policies in thy decree,
Complying with thy counfels, doing nought
Which doth not meet with an eternal thought.
But above all, thy Church and Spouse doth prove
Not the decrees of power, but bands of love.
Early didft thou arife to plant this vine,
Which might the more endear it to be thine.
Spices come from the Eaft; fo did thy spouse,
Trim as the light, fweet as the laden boughs
Of Noah's fhady vine, chafte as the dove,
Prepar'd and fitted to receive thy love.
The course was weftward, that the fun might light
As well our understanding as our fight.
Where th' ark did reft, there Abraham began
To bring the other ark from Canaan.
Mofes purfu'd this: but King Solomon
Finish'd and fix'd the old Religion.
When it grew loofe, the Jews did hope in vain
By nailing Chrift to faften it again.
But to the Gentiles he bore crofs and all,
Rending with earthquakes the partition-wall:
Only whereas the ark in glory fhone.
Now with the crofs, as with a staff alone.
Religion like a pilgrim, weftward bent,
Knocking at all doors, ever as fhe went.
Yet as the fun, tho' forward be his flight,
Liftens behind him, and allows fome light,
Till all depart: So went the Church her way,
Letting, while one foot stepp'd, the other stay
Among the eastern nations for a time,
Till both removed to the western clime,
To Egypt firft fhe came, where they did prove
Wonders of anger once, but now of love.
The ten commandments there did flourish more
Than the ten bitter plagues had done before.
Holy Macarius and great Anthony
Made Pharaoh Mofes, changing th' hiftory.
Gofhen was darkness, Egypt full of lights,
Nilus for monsters brought forth Ifraelites.
Such power hath mighty baptifm to produce
For things mishapen, things of highest use,
How dear to me, O God. thy counfels are!
Who may with thee compare!
Religion thence fled into Greece, where arts
Gave her the highest place in all men's hearts,
Learning was pos'd, philofophy was fet,.
Sophifters taken in a fifher's net.
Plato and Ariftotle were at a lofs,
And wheel'd about again to fpell Chrift's cross.
Prayers chas'd fyllogifms into their den,
And Ergo was transform'd into Amen.
Tho' Greece took horfe as foon as Egypt did,
And Rome as both, yet Egypt fafter rid,
And spent her period and prefixed time
Before the other. Greece being paft her prime,
Religion went to Rome, fubduing those
Who, that they might fubdue, made all their foes:
The warrior his dear scars no more resounds,
But seems to yield Chrift hath the greater wounds;
Wounds willingly endur'd to work his blifs,
Who by an ambush loft his paradise.
The great heart stoops, and taketh from the duft
A fad repentance, not the fpoils of luft:
Quitting his fpear, left it should pierce again
Him in his members, who for him was flain.
The shepherd's hook grew to a fceptre here,
Giving new names and numbers to the year.
But th' Empire dwelt in Greece to comfort them,
Who were cut fhort in Alexander's ftem.
In both of these prowefs and arts did tame
And tune men's hearts against the Gofpel came:
Which using, and not fearing kill in th' one,
Or ftrength in th' other, drd erect her throne.
Many a rent and fruggling th' Empire knew,
As dying things are wont, until it flew
At length to Germany, fill weftward bending,
And there the Churches feftival attending:
That as before empire and arts made way,
For no lefs harbingers would ferve than they:
So they might ftill, and point us out the place
Where firft the Church fhould raife her down-caft face.
Strength levels grounds, art makes a garden there;
Then fhow'rs Religion, and makes all to bear.
Spain in the Empire fhar'd with Germany,
But England in the higher victory:
Giving the Church a Crown to keep her state,
And not go lefs than fhe had done of late.
Conftantine's British line meant this of old,
And did this mystery wrap up and fold
Within a fheet of paper, which was rent
From time's great chronicle, and hither fent.
Thus both the Church and Sun together ran
Unto the fartheft old meridian.
How dear to me, O God, thy counfels are!
ho may with thee compare?
Much about one and the fame time and place,
Both where and when the Church began her race,
Sin did fet out of Eaftern Babylon,
And travell'd weftward alfo; journeying on
He chid the Church away, where e'er he came,
Breaking her peace, and tainting her good name."
At first he got to Egypt, and did fow
Gardens of gods, which ev'ry year did grow,
Fresh and fine deities. They were at great coft,
Who for a god clearly a fallet loft.
Ah! what a thing is man devoid of grace,
Adoring garlic with an humble face,
Begging his food of that which he may eat,
Starving the while he worshippeth his meat!
Who makes a root his god, how low is he,
If God and man be fever'd infinitely!
What wretchednefs can give him any room,
Whofe houfe is foul, while he adores his broom?
None will believe this now, tho' money be
In us the fame transplanted foolery.
Thus fin in Egypt sneaked for a while;
His highest was an ox or crocodile,
And fuch poor game. Thence he to Greece doth pass;
And being craftier much than goodness was,
He left behind him garrifons of fins,
To make good that which ev'ry day he wins.
Here fin took heart, and for a garden-bed
Rich thrines and oracles he purchased:
He grew a gallant, and would needs fortel
As well what fhould befal as what befel.
Nay, he became a poet, and would ferve
His pills of fublimate in that conserve.
The world came both with hands and purses full
To this great lottery, and all would pull.
But all was glorious cheating, brave deceit,
Where fome poor truths were fhuffled for a bait,
To credit him, and to difcredit thole,
Who after him should braver truths disclose.
From Greece he went to Rome; and as before
He was a god, now he's an Emperor.
Nero and others lodg'd him bravely there,
Put him in truft to rule the Roman sphere.
Glory was his chief inftrument of old :
Pleafure fucceeded ftraight, when that grew cold,
Which foon was blown to fuch a mighty flame,
That tho' our Saviour did deftroy the game,
Difparking oracles, and all their treasure,
Setting affliction to encounter pleasure;
Yet did a rogue with hope of carnal joy,
Cheat the moft fubtile nations.
Who fo coy,
So trim, as Greece and Egypt? Yet their hearts
Are given over, for their curious arts,
To fuch Mahometan stupidities,
As the old heathen would deem prodigies.
How dear to me, O God thy counfels are!
Who may with thee compare?
Only the Weft and Rome do keep them free
From this contagious infidelity.
And this is all the rock whereof they boast,
As Rome will one day find unto her coft.
Sin being not able to extirpate quite
The Churches here, bravely resolv'd one night
To be a Churchman too, and wear a mitre:
The old debauched ruffian would turn writer.
I faw him in his study where he fate
Bufy in controverfies sprung of late.
gown and pen became him wond'rous well:
His grave afpect had more of heav'n than hell:
Only there was a handfome picture by,
To which he lent a corner of his eye.
As fin in Greece a prophet was before,
And in old Rome a mighty Emperor;
So now being prieft he plainly did profefs
To make a jeft of Chrift's three offices:
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