圣徒的论点进行激烈的比赛About their Carnal interests; To share their sacrilegious Preys, According to their Rates of Grace; Their various Frenzies to reform, When Cromwel left them in a Storm Till, in th' Effigy of Rumps, the Rabble Burns all their Grandees of the Cabal. THE learned write, an insect breeze Is but a mungrel prince of bees, That falls before a storm on cows, And stings the founders of his house; From whose corrupted flesh that breed Of vermin did at first proceed. So e're the storm of war broke out, Religion spawn'd a various rout Of petulant Capricious sects, The maggots of corrupted texts, That first run all religion down, And after ev'ry swarm its own. For as the Persian Magi once Upon their mothers got their sons, That were incapable t' enjoy That empire any other way; So PRESBYTER begot the other Upon the good old Cause, his mother, Then bore then like the Devil's dam, Whose son and husband are the same. And yet no nat'ral tie of blood Nor int'rest for the common good Cou'd, when their profits interfer'd, Get quarter for each other's beard. For when they thriv'd, they never fadg'd, But only by the ears engag'd: Like dogs that snarl about a bone, And play together when they've none, As by their truest characters, Their constant actions, plainly appears. Rebellion now began, for lack Of zeal and plunders to grow slack; The Cause and covenant to lessen, And Providence to b' out of season: For now there was no more to purchase O' th' King's Revenue, and the Churches, But all divided, shar'd, and gone, That us'd to urge the Brethren on; Which forc'd the stubborn'st for the Cause, To cross the cudgels to the laws, That what by breaking them th' had gain'd. By their support might be maintain'd; Like thieves, that in a hemp-plot lie Secur'd against the hue-and-cry; For PRESBYTER and INDEPENDANT Were now turn'd plaintiff and defendant; Laid out their apostolic functions On carnal orders and injunctions; And all their precious Gifts and Graces On outlawries and scire facias; At Michael's term had many a trial, Worse than the Dragon and St. Michael, Where thousands fell, in shape of fees, Into the bottomless abyss. For when like brethren, and like friends, They came to share their dividends, And ev'ry partner to possess His Church and State Joint-Purchases, In which the ablest Saint, and best, Was nam'd in trust by all the rest, To pay their money; and, instead Of ev'ry Brother, pass the deed; He strait converted all his gifts To pious frauds and holy shifts; And settled all the other shares Upon his outward man and's heirs; Held all they claim'd as forfeit lands, Deliver'd up into his hands, And pass'd upon his conscience, By Pre-intail of Providence; Impeach'd the rest for reprobates, That had no titles to estates, But by their spiritual attaints Degraded from the right of Saints. This b'ing reveal'd, they now begun With law and conscience to fall on, And laid about as hot and brain-sick As th' Utter Barrister of SWANSWICK; Engag'd with moneybags as bold As men with sand bags did of old; That brought the lawyers in more fees Than all unsanctify'd Trustees; Till he who had no more to show I' th' case receiv'd the overthrow; Or both sides having had the worst, They parted as they met at first. Poor PRESBYTER was now reduc'd, Secluded, and cashier'd, and chous'd Turn'd out, and excommunicate From all affairs of Church and State; Reform'd t' a reformado Saint, And glad to turn itinerant, To stroll and teach from town to town, And those he had taught up, teach down. And make those uses serve agen Against the new-enlighten'd men, As fit as when at first they were Reveal'd against the CAVALIER; Damn ANABAPTIST and FANATIC, As pat as Popish and Prelatic; And with as little variation, To serve for any Sect i' th' nation. The Good Old Cause, which some believe To be the Dev'l that tempted EVE With Knowledge, and does still invite The world to mischief with new Light, Had store of money in her purse When he took her for bett'r or worse; But now was grown deform'd and poor, And fit to be turn'd out of door. The INDEPENDENTS (whose first station Was in the rear of reformation, A mungrel kind of church-dragoons, That serv'd for horse and foot at once; And in the saddle of one steed The Saracen and Christian rid; Were free of ev'ry spiritual order, To preach, and fight, and pray, and murder) No sooner got the start to lurch Both disciplines, of War and Church And Providence enough to run The chief commanders of 'em down, But carry'd on the war against The common enemy