YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
As lighted candles Christians should appear,
Their solid worth externally made clear.
Professions will as tinkling cymbals sound,
Unless the practice be consistent found.
Love is an operative grace, a flower
Diffusing redolence through Zion's bower.
In doctrine sound, let no spectator cry,
Behold a thief we in the candle spy.
In sacred things, saith GOD, I robbery hate:
Who then COMPULSIVE TITHES can vindicate?
The Clergy to the Jewish code appeal;
And thither shall they go: that code reveal.
No Jew could exercise coactive power,
To gather TITHES, his brethren to devour.
All was a Free-will offering to the LORD;
No Jew to gather TITHES could draw the sword.
To urge that monarchs on ambrosia dine,
As sage as boasting of their right divine
To rule the Church, whose Sovereign reigns above,
Attracting Christians by the cords of Love;
Their high Supremacy is here denied,
The Church will only in the LORD confide.
Coactive power inflicts a piercing dart,
The philtre, GOD IS LOVE, attracts the heart.
To plead that Papists centuries ago
Exacted TITHES, the claim must overthrow;
The source corrupt, the streams polluted flow.
EXACTION must, in whomsoever found,
Be hooted from the stage, an odious sound.
EXACTION LEGALIZ'D still ten times worse,
From first to last the project is perverse.
Zaccheus, when converted, with good sense
Made restitution for his old offence.
If I, beneath the covert of the law,
Have by EXACTION aught presum'd to draw,
Zaccheus said, "I fourfold will restore,"
And never will exact a farthing more.
He would not deign to urge prescription's claim,
Like modern TITHE EXACTORS, to their shame.
Old "custom void of truth" (as Cyprian said),
"Is mouldy error," not good household bread.
Prescription, against reason, becomes void,
As darkness is by opening light destroy'd.
What forms a father's wish, his warm desire?
For wisdom fam'd, O may my sons be higher!
TO LIBERTY devoted, I would see
My children, and my countrymen all FREE.
These ancient maxims appositely show
What to Prescription wisdom's children owe.
The wisdom of our fathers we revere,
But must not in their errors persevere.
The source of infidelity we trace
To those the sacred function who disgrace;
To HIRELINGS, who by violation live
Of CHRIST's emphatic mandate, FREELY GIVE!
The venal system, which could only ooze
From Pandemonium, horrifies the muse.
Self interest, harden'd by Prescription, blinds
The understanding, and corrupts the minds
Of numbers, who, not as their leaders vile,
Still foster priestcraft, and indulge in guile.
Here searchers after truth are most appall❜d
By Evangelical Divines, so call'd;
Whose trafficking in souls religion mocks,
Not less than theirs whose doctrine reason shocks,
The self-denominated ORTHODOX.
While both pretend that bishops can impart
The HOLY GHOST, by their official art!
An IMPOSITION which we clearly see,
Unorthodox, is horrid BLASPHEMY!
Herein who does not correspond with me?
Dear reader pause, and candidly reply,
How does the charter'd logic strike your eye?
Do you believe that bishop Philpotts can
Confer the HOLY GHOST on any man?
Can you in impositions take delight?
Or, of the world consider such the light?
If then there be a GOD, as reason shows,
He will confound the HIRELINGS, Zion's foes;
Will bring their deeds of darkness all to view,
In Steeples, and in Pantile Houses too.
God's Word our guide, alive to Zion's weal,
I must not, dare not, will not truth conceal.
Wherever truth is suffer'd to appear,
Herein it shall be found as crystal clear;
With rays reflected from the glory known,
A light pellucid, like the jasper stone.
No more to vacant fiction verse confin'd,
To sacred truth these Idyls are assign'd,
I cannot flourish in the modern style,
With empty words the reader's time beguile :
But write as for eternity, and trust
To level TITHE EXACTORS with the dust-
The foes of Education, as they know,
That knowledge soon their craft will overthrow.
To turn a period with factitious art,
Be theirs who act the venal HIRELING's part. A Panadelphian aims, by aid divine,
To make the truth throughout his volume shine;
Thereby contributing to separate
The base Alliance of the Church and State.
An honest man will cordially despise
Their policy, their projects who disguise;
Who meet the Clergy with a simpering smile,
While aiming at their overthrow by guile.
The strength of reason fairly to display,
They are conjur❜d to meet in open day.
Inviting all the Church to face the light!
"Why of yourselves decide not what is right?”
SERIES ANNORUM
NON CONSECRAT ERROREM.
No length of years can error consecrate,
purge the union of the Church and State. However ancient PERRANZABuloe,
No right to TITHES can from PIRANUS flow,
If Saint Piranus bow'd, as in our day
The Clergy do, to man, he went astray,
A Church so base must indignation move,
Though bishops will of Mammon's Rites approve:
As one observ'd, while pocketing a fine,
"Our best of Churches doubtless is divine!"
Rich deans will with his lordship correspond,
And wealthy rectors heartily respond,
A splendid thought, which should in print be seen! The Altar and the Throne! add, Church and Queen! Our excellent establishment shall be
Baptiz'd "The Ark of Christianity."
"Words, words, words!" Shakespeare's language
The voice of truth the sophists will defeat.
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