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,
Worfe than the Dragon and St. Michael,
Where thousands fell, in shape of fees,
Into the bottomlefs abyfs.
For when, like brethren, and like friends,
They came to share their dividends,
And ev'ry partner to poffefs
His church and state joint-purchases,
In which the ablest faint, and best,
Was nam'd in truft by all the rest,
To pay their money, and instead
Of ev'ry brother, pass the deed;
He straight converted all his gifts
To pious frauds and holy shifts,
And fettled 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-entail of providence;
Impeach'd the rest for reprobates,
That had no titles to eftates,
But by their spiritual attaints
Degraded from the right of faints.
This b'ing reveal'd, they now begun
With law and confcience to fall on,
And laid about as hot and brainfick
As th' utter barrister of Swanswick
Engag'd with money bags, as bold
As men with fand-bags did of old,
That brought the lawyers in more fees
Than all unfanctify'd trustees;
Till he who had no more to show
I' th' cafe, receiv'd the overthrow;
Or, both fides having had the worst,
They parted as they met at first.
Poor prefbyter was now reduc'd,
Secluded, and cafhier'd, and chous'd!
Turn'd out, and excommunicate
Reform'd t' a reformado faint,
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 ferve 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 fect i' th' nation.
The good old cause, which fome 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 better or worse,
But now was grown deform'd and
And fit to be turn'd out of door.
The independents, whose first station
Was in the rear of reformation,
A mongrel kind of church-dragoons,
That ferv'd for horfe and foot at once,
And in the faddle of one steed
The faracen and christian rid;
Were free of ev'ry fpiritual order,
To preach, and fight, and pray, and murder,
No fooner got the start, to lurch
Both disciplines of war and church,
And providence enough to run
The chief commanders of them down,
But carry'd on the war against
The common enemy o' th' faints,
And in a while prevail'd so far,
To win of them the game of war,
And be at liberty once more
T'attack themselves as they 'ad before.
For now there was no foe in arms T' unite their factions with alarms,
But all reduc'd and overcome,
Except their worst, themselves at home,
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