Was not the Caufe at firft begun
With perjury, and carry'd on ?
Was there an oath the Godly took,
But in due time and place they broke?

Did we not bring our oaths in first, ·
Before our plate, to have them burst,
And caft in fitter models, for
The present use of Church and War?
Did not our Worthies of the House,
Before they broke the peace, break vows ?

1

145

150

For

Ver. 136.] When it was first moved in the House of Commons to proceed capitally against the King, Cromwell stood up and told them, "That if any man moved "this with design, he should think him the greatest "traitor in the world; but fince Providence and ne"ceffity had caft them upon it, he fhould pray to God "to bless their counfels." And when he kept the King clofe prifoner in Carisbrook Caftle, contrary to vows and proteftations, he affirmed, "The Spirit would "not let him keep his word." And when, contrary to the public faith, they murdered him, they pretended they could not refift the motions of the Spirit.

For having freed us firft from both
Th' Allegiance and Suprem'cy oath,
Did they not next compel the nation
To take, and break the Proteftation?
To fwear, and after to recant,

155

The Solemn League and Covenant?

To take th' Engagement, and disclaim it,
Enforc'd by those who firft did frame it?

Did they not fwear, at firft, to fight

For the King's fafety and his right?

160

And after march'd to find him out,

And charg'd him home with horfe and foot;
But yet still had the confidence

To fwear it was in his defence?

Did they not fwear to live and die

165

With Effex, and straight laid him by?

If that were all, for fome have swore
As falfe as they, if they did no more.
Did they not fwear to maintain Law,
In which that fwearing made a flaw?
For Proteftant religion vow,
That did that vowing difallow?
For Privilege of Parliament,

In which that fwearing made a rent?.
And fince, of all the three, not one
Is left in being, 'tis well known.
Did they not fwear, in exprefs words,
To prop and back the House of Lords?
And after turn'd out the whole housefull
Of Peers, as dangerous and unuseful.

370

175

So Cromwell, with deep oaths and vows,
Swore all the Commons out o' th' House;
Vow'd that the Red-coats would disband,
Ay, marry would they, at their command;
And troll'd them on, and fwore, and fwore,
Till th' Army turn'd them out of door.

This tells us plainly what they thought,
That oaths and swearing go for nought,
And that by them th' were only meant
To ferve for an expedient.

What was the Public Faith found out for,
But to flur men of what they fought for?
The Public Faith, which every one

Is bound t' obferve, yet kept by none;
And if that go for nothing, why

Sould Private Faith have fuch a tie ?

Oaths were not purpos'd, more than Law,
To keep the Good and just in awe,

But to confine the Bad and Sinful,
Like mortal cattle in a pinfold.

A Saint's of th' heavenly realm a Peer;
And as no Peer is bound to fwear,
But on the Gofpel of his Honour,
Of which he may difpofe, as owner,
It follows, though the thing be forgery,
And falfe, t' affirm it is no perjury,
But a mere ceremony, and a breach
Of nothing but a form of speech,
And
goes for no more when 'tis took,
Than mere faluting of the Book,

03

185

190

195

200

205

210

Suppofe

Suppofe the Scriptures are of force,
They 're but commiffions of course;
And Saints have freedom to digress,
And

vary from them, as they please;
Or misinterpret them by private
Inftructions, to all aims they drive at.
Then why should we ourselves abridge,
And curtail our own privilege?
Quakers (that, like to lanterns, bear
Their light within them) will not swear;

Their Gofpel is an Accidence,

By which they conftrue Confcience,

215

220

And hold no fin fo deeply red,

As that of breaking Prifcian's head,
(The head and founder of their order,

225

That stirring hats held worse than murder)

Thefe, thinking they 're oblig'd to troth

In fwearing, will not take an oath :

Like mules, who, if they 've not their will
To keep their own pace, stand stock still:
But they are weak, and little know
What free-born Confciences may do.

230

For as on land there is no beast
But in fome fish at fea 's expreft;
So in the Wicked there's no vice

Of which the Saints have not a fpice;
And yet that thing that 's pious in
The one, in th' other is a fin.

Is 't not ridiculous and nonfenfe,

A Saint fhould be a flave to Conscience,

245

That ought to be above fuch fancies,

As far as above Ordinances?

2.50

She's of the wicked, as I guess,

B' her looks, her language, and her drefs ::

And though, like conftables, we search

For falfe wares one another's Church;

Yet all of us hold this for true,
No faith is to the Wicked due.
For truth is precious and divine,
Too rich a pearl for carnal swine.

Quoth Hudibras, All this is true;

Yet 'tis not fit that all men knew
Those mysteries and revelations ;
And therefore topical evafions.

Of fubtle turns and fhifts of fense,

Serve beft with th' Wicked for pretence ;
Such as the learned Jefuits ufe,

And Presbyterians, for excufe

Against the Protestants, when th' happen
To find their Churches taken napping
As thus; A breach of Oath is duple,
And either way admits a fcruple,

04:

255

260

265

270

And