emperor, was not that another oath? And did not many Christians then suffer, because they could not swear? Read the ten persecutions which was a long time before the Pope got up; and then did not the Pope, when he had got up over the churches, give forth both oath and curse, with bell, book, and candle? And was not the ceremony of his oath to lay three fingers a top of the book, to signify the trinity; and two fingers under the book, to signify damnation of body and soul, if they sware falsly?—And was not there a great number of people that would not swear, and suffered great persecution, as read the book of Martyrs but to Bonner's days? And it is little above an hundred years since the Protestants got up; and they gave forth the oath of allegiance, and the oath of supremacy; the one was to deny the Pope's supremacy, and the other to acknowledge the kings of England; so we need not to tell you of their form, and shew you the ceremony of the oath; it saith, kiss the book, and the book saith, kiss the Son, which saith, Swear not at all,' and so cannot allegiance be to the king in truth and faithfulness, as was said before without an oath, yea, and more than many that swears. So you may see to deny swearing is no new thing, for it was the practice of the Christians in former times to deny it, both in heathens and the times of popery before Protestants, and so it is in obedience to the command of Christ that we do not swear in our loves to him; and if we say he is the Lord and Master, and do not the thing that he commands, that is but deceit and hypocrisy. And so rash and bad swearing, that was forbidden in the time of the law, it was not that which Christ came to fulfil, but true oaths, and the true types, figures, and shadows; and he saith, Swear not at all.' Twentiethly, And, for Acts the xiiith, there is nothing spoken of swearing there, as all people may read. Twenty-firstly, And whereas the apostle often speaks of taking to witness a record upon his own soul by his rejoicing in Christ Jesus, what is all this to swearing, and taking an oath, or where did ever the apostle take a solemn oath, or command the brethren and churches to do the same? For often he speaks of the witness out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. And the bishop often brings the 1 Cor. xv. 31. our rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus, I die daily:' This place cannot be brought for a proof, that the apostle sware; if so, when thou sayest by the meat thou art refreshed, and by the fire thou art warmed, and people tells thee thou must go by such a lane to such a town, they all swear then, do they not? By Twenty-secondly, As for the particle N, the bishop says it is never used, but in an oath only. Answ. And what is N, is it not (truly) as, also the primitive word val, which signifies yea? And is not that word as in the afore-mentioned fifth of Matthew, and the fifth of James, where swearing is denied; for is not ì in Greek, yea in English; and is not N in Greek, truly in English? And if every man that says yea and truly sweareth, then the bishop proves his assertion. And is not there a difference between ɔ and paw? So, in meekness and love, read this over in that from which it was sent. POSTSCRIPT. Christ Jesus, who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the Beginning and Ending, First and Last, him by whom God will judge the world in righteousness. WE quary of you whether he or any of his apostles, after they had given forth a command that none should swear, but keep to yea and nay, in all their communications, can any minister or teacher prove this in express words out of the New Testament that they ever commanded to swear, or did swear? That will satisfy, that will end all. But that we should be cast into prison for our obedience to Christ's command, by you, that profess yourselves to be Christians, and own Christ Jesus as you say, is not right: And he commands you to love enemies, if you did obey his commands, and love one another; for they that are Christians, and own Christ Jesus, they should love one another: For this was a mark by which they were known to be disciples, learners of him. And so they, that are lovers of him, own him and obey him and his doctrine; so, though we do suffer here by you all the sessions or assizes, we do commit our cause, and you that do persecute us, to the general assizes and terrible day wherein God will judge the world in righteousness, whose commands we obey in tenderness; and there we know we shall have true judgment without respect of persons, there our hats will not be looked at before the Almighty, but the action and transgression, and who hath served God, and who hath not served him: For Christ hath told you before-hand, what he will say to them, that visits him not in prison,, where he is made manifest in his brethren: Then what will become of them that casts them into prison for tenderness towards God, for obeying his doctrine, and keeps to yea or nay in their communications according to his words?-And so these things we leave to the general day, though we can say, the Lord forgive you that doth thus persecute us, if it be his will, freely from our hearts, for we do you, nor no man harm, but seek the good and peace of all men, and for this cause, for obeying the truth, we do suffer. G. F. AN ANSWER TO THE FRENCH DECLARATION OF WAR, IN ALLIANCE WITH THE DUTCH AND DANES, IN THE YEAR 1665. London: Printed for the Author, in 1665-6, on a Broad-side. TH HE heavens look big with wonder, and inform Where should the sons of honour, if they die, The world will know, when time shall serve, we dare Sure we shall deal + with you, and board + you too; Of legs and arms, I they'll scarce be glad to sec. The King of Denmark, to whom Norway is subject, from whence comes our pitch and tar, +Two epithets intimating that, although we trade with him for deal and boards, yet we are able to deal, or behave mantully in fight with him, and upon occasion board his ships. Viz. When they in one night conspired to cut all the Danish men's throats throughout England, thereby to deliver their country from their government; upon which account it is said, that the Englishmen have ever since given the women the wall, and the most honourable places at all times. France. Of soldiers slain in battle. The King of Great Britain. ++ Alluding to the dispute which then subsisted between the French king and the Pope, One that will otherwise the matter handle, With glitt'ring swords, and not bell, book, and candle; Not to pronounce, but execute your curse. With those low-country leather-apron ‡‡ lords. LLAND THE CHARACTER OF HOLLAND. London: Printed by T. Mabb for Robert Horn, at the Angel in Pope's-HeadAlley, 1665. Folio, containing eight Pages. TOLLAND, that scarce deserves the name of land, H° As but th' off-scowring of the British sand; And so much earth as was contributed By English pilots, when they heav'd the lead; Fell to the Dutch by just propriety. Glad then, as miners that have found the ore, • Pope's. + Henry V. At which place the English have given the French total overthrows in battle. Because the King of Great Britain still maintains his title of King of France. ++ Equivocally signifying both serious and on the sea; for the deep is the sea. # Agincourt. The sea. The Dutch. How did they rivet with gigantick piles Thorough the center their new-catched miles: And to the stake a struggling country bound, Where barking waves still bait the forced ground; Building their wat'ry Babel far more high To reach the sea, than those to scale the sky? Yet still his claim the injur'd ocean laid, And oft at leap-frog o'er their steeples play'd, As if on purpose it on land had come To shew them what's their Mare Liberum. A daily deluge over them does boil: The earth and water play at level-coil. The fish oft-times the burgher dispossest, And sat not as a meat, but as a guest: And oft the Tritons and the sea-nymphs saw Whole sholes of Dutch serv'd up for Cabillau. Or, as they over the new level rang'd, For pickled Herring, pickled Heeren chang'd. Nature, it seem'd, asham'd of her mistake, Would throw their land away at duck and drake. Therefore necessity, that first made kings, Something like government among them brings. For as with pygmies, who best kills the crane; Among the hungry, he that treasures grain;. Among the blind, the one-ey'd blinkard reigns; So rules, among the drowned, he that drains. Not who first sees the rising sun commands, But who could first discern the rising lands, Who best could know to pump an earth so leak, Him they their lord and country's father speak. To make a bank was a great plot of state, Invent a shovel and be magistrate. Hence some small dyke-grave, unperceiv'd, invades The power, and grows as 't were a king of spades: But for less envy some joint state endures, Who look like a commission of the sewers. For these half-anders, haif wet, and half dry, 'Tis probable religion after this Came next in order, which they could not miss : |