[Page]BALAAMS REPLY TO THE ASSE, OR THE Clergies Answer TO THE Countreys Complaint.
By H. W.
LONDON, Printed by J B. and are to be sold at the several Booksellers shops in London and Westminster, 1661.
Balaams Reply to the Ass, OR THE Clergies Answer TO THE Countrys Complaint.
[1]
To the Reverend Bishops.
YOu learned Prelates of the House of Peers!
That sit in
Moses Chair, and bow your ears
To Widows just Complaints, and Orphans Tearal
[2]
Grave (Fathers of the Church) to you we come!
Begging for Justice! though they say we are dumb;
If we were so indeed twere well for some.
[3]
To you we send or our complaints alass,
None fitter then an Angel to appease.
The fray, betwixt poor Bala'm and his Ass?
[4]
And that your Lordships are concern'd I'm sure;
Unless you can both scorn, and loss indure,
The livings are your own, our's but the cure!
[5]
Twill be no wonder to your learned Train,
That
Issacar of
Levy should complain!
The Asses spleen will in his mouth remain.
[6]
Nor wil't I hope seem sttrange to any one,
That there's amongst us such division,
Proud
Jack did evermore abuse poor
John!
[7]
In vain it is for Bala'm to reply
Unto the Asses charge, when all men cry,
A switch and spurr's the heft Phylosophy!
[8]
Yet in my heart I think no wise men do,
Think us false Prophets, for they all do know,
They are but Asses, that do count us so.
[9]
But oh we cannot hold, should we not speak,
And sigh aloud, our very hearts would break,
Twould vex a
Moses were he nere so meek!
[10]
Say can it chose but greive our souls to see?
Simeon and
Levy fight, both disagree?
And sorry boys, old Fathers villifie?
[11]
Did ever any since the cursed
Ca
[...],
Turn up his fathers skirt, divulge his shame?
Yes, yes, mine own dear sons have done the same!
[12]
And as if God were deaf, and Conscience dumb,
Rebellion but a peccadillo, some
Like
Nero have display'd their Mothers Womb.
[13]
Lord didst thou send, the wild and Savage Bear,
To slay th' unto'ward boys that sooffing were;
At the good Prophet for his want of hair?
[14]
How canst thou stay thy hand, when men and all,
Do joyn together and us scoffing call,
Though not bald Priests by chance, yet Priests of
Ba'al
[15]
And why on John what mean those names and words,
Or hath the Church her Knights, as well as Lords?
Or, tell me are het Keys exchang'd for Swords?
[16]
True not long since he lay dead in a sown,
Of civil Wars, the cross, and waining Moon,
Parted her Ensigns, and the was undone.
[17]
But that some gallane hearts that scornd the loss
Of life and goods, at heft but splended dross
Stay'd for to help their Mother bear her Cross.
[18]
But why Sir
John would not St.
George have been
A better Epethite, but chiefly when
Griffins; and
Dragons are so nee'r a kin?
[19]
Or wa'st a greater peice of eminence,
To be a Mother, then a Maids defence,
Is love inferior to obedience?
[20]
Why the rude Vulgar folk do call us
John,
And add a sir, I must profess I'm one
As must go seek a Revelation?
[21]
True, we have been as we do all confess,
A long time in the howling wilderness,
Save that we might not preach up righteousness!
[22]
Besides our Commons too were very small,
Like to the Baptist's, yet they differ all!
John fed on Honey, but we fed on Gall.
[23]
Yet we embrace the title, tis no shame
For to be Christn'd with the Baptists name,
May we be like him all a burning flame!
[24]
But ah this is not all that you do see,
A thousand harder names as yet here be
In the poor Persons Genealogy.
[25]
Dogs, Bears and Wolves, Tigers and such as they
That range the silent Woods live on the pray
Are Hieroglypicks fit for as they say.
[26]
And yet God know a our hearts, and and souls we cou'd
Nor fight, nor fews, be infolent, nor prond,
Or flush our selves with quaffing humane blood!
[27]
But so the Tyrant Monarchs of the East,
Us'd in (their Triumphs, o
[...] the
[...] solemn
[...],
To bias poor Christ
[...] in the skins of
[...]
[28]
What 'tis we have done, truely we do not know,
To merit ill of them, did we weed go,
With bended knee to supplicate our Fo!
[29]
If we have took away from any one,
More then our Tent'hs, on this condition,
We are ready to make restitution!
[30]
If Altars, Tapers, be Idolatry,
Gowns, Cassack, Tippets, rags of Popery,
Shew'us good reason for't wee'l lay
[...] by
[31]
But if the reading prayers be all our bl
[...]
'Cause
[...] and
[...] maybe taught the same,
The Ass may then
[...] from
[...]
[32]
For is the
[...] men doth
[...]
Of so much
[...] that he
[...]
To this,
[...]
[...]ye may sooner speak the
[...]
[...]
[33]
But oh we cannot pray our hearts are scant,
Strange that we cannot pray, and yet can cant
The poor Man never did expressions want
[34]
True, we cant hang the head, and look demure,
Talk fast, and lowd like Monkeys in a Lure,
And then not question but to sin secure!
[35]
We do not love a long and tedious story,
Full of Perenthesis, pride and vain glory,
The
Pater Noster's the best Directory!
[36]
We do profess that we are none of those,
That Circumflex their Sermonas with their Nose,
And mingle
Hopkins Rimes, with
Wisdowes Prose!
[37]
Yet would you but vouchsafe to view the prayers,
Of your good Mother sinoe these latter years,
Mixt with the incense of a Prelates Tears?
[38]
Would you but hearken to her groans, and cries,
Her sweet Patheticksand Apostrophies,
You'ld say there was no richer Sacrafice!
[39]
The penitent Disciple I d
[...] sw
[...],
Ne'r wept so much, when the pert
[...],
Fastned his Fetters, and did him scure▪
[40]
Even so the B
[...] tree, lovingly bestows
It's Tears
[...] that do
[...]
Tears healing as the blood that from it flows!
[41]
But stay here
[...] fright
Just like a Taylors Bill, a threadbare Knight,
They say we are
[...], loose, prophane, and
[...]ight!
[42]
I do not wish these Articles may be,
As false a charge, as manifest a ly,
As those were of a former Century!
[43]
For then the bribed Person that should go,
To prove the imputation to be so,
Would be the greater scandal of the two.
[44]
But yet I pray, that we may be no less
Religious in plenty then distress
In Canaan, then in the Wilderness▪
[45]
But we are Drunkards, men will lye and swear,
Though we with modesty and tears declare,
True is our Doctrine,
[...] our prayer!
[46]
Then us for Theives, and Robbers they do brand,
Though we profess we would upon no hand,
Purchase an
[...] of the Churches Land!
[47]
But we are wanton, lustful, fond and fickle,
And in our Neighbours Corn do thrust our Sickle
When we God won all hate a Conventickle.
[48]
Lastly we are dark Lights, blind Guides by name,
Though if we were, say which deserves must blame,
A glimering Taper, or a wandring flame?
[49]
And yet the faults not ours, we had no doubt,
Remain'd till now, bright shining and devout,
Had not a Sequestration blew us out▪
[50]
That Northern gust, that fatal Hurrican,
That rush'd through all the quarters of the Land,
Rooted up Oaks,
[...] the Mushroms stand!
[51]
Good Lord how prejudice and passion blea
[...]s,
Our eys; how self
[...] by the ears,
Which way the wind blow, the Saylor steers!
[52]
If we say nothing then they spur
[...] and kick,
Call us dumb dogs, and throw us bones to pick,
The Ass will vapour when the
[...]yons sick!
[53]
When we resufe to see at least to mind,
Their grose abuses, then the Preist is blind,
Weeping perhaps to see them so unkind!
[54]
But if we justisie our holiness,
And prove by reason, what we do profess,
The wisdome of the world is foolishness!
[55]
At last when envy cannot find a hole,
To shroud her-self, down they sit and
[...],
Tis a poor silly superctitious soul
[56]
These are the scoffs and Jears, the cruel hits,
That wicked heads invent in drunken fits,
To vex good men, and exercise their wits!
[57]
O wicked World, O monstrous Commonweal,
When men with great applause might kill and steal,
Censure was Saintship, Sacriledge was zeal!
[58]
When Churches
[...] like stables, Altars bare,
Or Turn'd to Mangers, Priests and Organs were,
Both silenc'd, none might preach unless they'd swane!
[59]
No Musick in the Church but Widows cries,
No Sacraments but Oaths, no Rites but lies,
No Christian Burial, and no Sacrifice!
[60]
But thanks be to our gratious God, for why?
He heard our prayers, and harkn'd to our Cry,
And thereupon turn'd our captivity!
[61]
We'are all in peace, long may we so remain,
May the Grown flourish on our Soveraign,
And
Aarons Rod blosom and bloom again!
[62]
May all the Kings and Churches Enemies
All their plots, projects, and conspiracies,
Be blown away like silly Gnats and Flies!
[63]
And
[...]my Lord
[...] since we to you have cry'd,
And nothing that
[...] you hide,
Pict your sorrows, pardon us beside
[...],
[64]
O Father
[...] how canst thou see,
The bondman scoff at
Isaack and not be,
In love to him offended presently?
[65]
Alass we don't sigh and complain because,
Our honor's lie at stake, but the good laws,
Your reputation, and the Churches cause.
[66]
Tis time, tis time my Lords, or to keep in
For your own safeties, or go armed when
The Lyons couchant, in the Asses skin!
[67]
I'le say but this tak't on a Levits word,
When once the Ass doth of his own accord
Thus kick Sir
John Hee'l quickly
[...]ng my Lord.
FINIS.