And happy will the scribe his labours deem
If, mov'd by the importance of the theme.
Attentive searchers after truth will weigh
What Doctor BARROW has hereon to say.
His clear DISCOURSE ON UNITY has shown
That HARRY-ISM must be overthrown.
And this concession drawn from such a pen
Is worth a host of ordinary men.
Hence, with JOHN Huss, some probably will say,
That all the HIRELINGS must be swept away.
THE CONSECRATION OF CHURCHES.
On hearing what was paid for Consecration,
A Country Vicar made the observation,
"I would for that, assume a central stand,
And consecrate, at once, all Britain's land."
He knew the custom was a vain parade,
And laughed at Mammon's sacerdotal trade.
A Bribe to preach the Gospel a disgrace,
In no well order'd Church can find a place.
A host of Clergymen by FORCE maintain'd,
Does utmost violence to love unfeign'd.
Hence noxious weeds the garden overspread,
And hence few flowers a grateful fragrance shed:
Such no supply of honey can afford;
The HIRELINGS spoil the garden of the LORD:
Whatever name they plausibly assume,
They greedily the Church's fruits consume.
A system which must shrink before the test
Of Love unfeign'd, by GoD shall be suppress'd.
Though HIRELINGS will profanely Scripture twist,
And some on Tithes, on Seat Rents some insist,
"Confer GRATUITOUSLY," JESUS cries,
And "NOT for filthy lucre!" Paul replies.
"O that mankind were wise," as Moses penn'd,
Then men no longer Priestcraft would defend.
Where'er they move, the servants of the LORD
His loving kindness publicly record.
Wherever sought JEHOVAH may be found,
His presence consecrating every ground.
IMMANUEL's presence (Christians will agree,)
Makes every place a Church, where two or three
Assemble in his Name, as every place
Becomes a Court, where kings their friends embrace.
No land is strange, no place unholy, where
GOD's chosen people meet for social prayer.
Jerusalem each city, of renown,
Each coast is Jewry, Solyma each town;
In every region true believers find
Mount Zion, not to Eastern saints confin'd.
Each vessel sacred, every vale and hill,
Where saints unite, obedient to God's will,
Yea every faithful body, we observe,
Becomes a temple, GOD therein to serve.
WHAT can the Clergy urge in self defence?
To cite their logic proves their want of sense;
Or want of common honesty-still worse.
Their language heard is puerile, perverse.
They talk of HOLY OIL, with which, they say,
They kings anoint, o'er Zion to bear sway.
But not a man among them can suggest
From what fam'd tree that oil has been express'd.
A Clergyman to me this logic us'd;
Which often has my memory amus'd.
While some with laughter almost split their sides,
With weeping others pity Zion's guides.
Search where we will the garden of the LORD,
The trees of Zion no such oil afford.
We challenge all the doctors to produce
A drop of oil therefrom like adder's juice.
The HIRELINGs find, their garden to adorn,
No other tree more fair than Jotham's thorn.
But Zion's garden, as the prophet shows,
Instead of Briers, shall produce the rose,
The myrtle, fir-tree, and the verdant box,
A truth acknowledg'd by the orthodox.
The magisterial alchymy would spoil
The choicest specimen of HOLY OIL
FROM oil to turn, another figure, SALT,
May serve to prove the Doctors blind, and halt..
Ye are the salt, ordain'd throughout the earth,
Said JESUS to his friends, to show my worth :
And "Salt is good," not in the lump, but spread
Diffusively throughout the well wrought bread.
But salt of men infatuated found,
In practice, and in principle unsound,
Can only spread sterility around..
Where'er they spread their salt, they sterilize:
Through TITHES much land uncultivated lies..
Yes, salt is good, the Attic deem'd the best,
When truth felicitously is express'd:
When TITHE EXACTORS worthily are lash'd,
And HIRELINGS are with pungency abash'd:
When truth is made so striking to the sight,
That he who runs can read it with delight..
To gratify the public taste, the muse
Another grain or two will here diffuse.
Charg'd to diffuse sound wisdom, or good Salt, "None on a charge," said THOMSON, "must cry
By Scripture taught, our duty to perform,
We must COMPULSIVE TITHES, and CHURCH RATES storm..
The love of truth our ardour will inspire,
And animate our songs, till TITHES expire.
The promises divine demand our praise,
Encourage hope, and exultation raise.
God's promises emphatically prove,
That reason must the law of TITHES remove;
Together with the Church of England too,
The words annex'd demonstrate this is true.
"" The enemy shall NOT EXACT," we read,
On JESUS, nor on his anointed seed.
The Church shall not by HIRELINGS be annoy'd:
Whoever eateth blood shall be destroy'd.
Trice thirteen thousand Irishmen have bled,
Since thrice ten years have roll'd o'er ERIN's head,
In battles for the TITHES! though horrid, true,
By EAGLE prov'd, and in The Black Book too.
The HIRELINGS plead, CHRIST'S CHURCH would
nothing get,
Unless supported by the BAYONET!
They know they could not stand on reason's ground, Their only strength is in the HORSE-GUARDS found!
They tell us plainly, men are so perverse,
That FORCE is needful to command their purse..
That TITHE Exactors could not stand alone,
Without the aid of VIOLENCE, we own:
But when their pagods shall be swept away,
The Church of CHRIST its glory will display.
|