IX.
But when his painful gifts h' employs
In holding-forth, the virtue lies
Not in the letter of the sense,
But in the spiritual vehemence,
The power and dispensation of the voice,
The zealous pangs and agonies,
And heavenly turnings of the eyes ;
The groans, with which he piously destroys
And drowns the nonsense in the noise ;
And grows so loud, as if he meant to force
And take-in heaven by violence;
To fright the Saints into falvation,
Or scare the devil from temptation ;
Until he falls fo low and hoarse,
No kind of carnal sense
Can be made out of what he means :
But, as the ancient Pagans were precise
To use no short-tail'd beast in facrifice,
He still conforms to them, and has a care
T'allow the largest measure to his paltry ware.
X.
The ancient churches, and the best,
By their own martyrs' blood increast;
But he has found out a new way,
To do it with the blood of those
That dare his church's growth oppose,
Or her imperious canons disobey ;
U 3
And strives to carry on the Work,
Like a true primitive reforming Turk,
With holy rage, and edifying war,
More safe and powerful ways by far :
For the Turk’s patriarch, Mahomet,
Was the first great Reformer, and the chief
Of th' ancient Christian belief,
That mix'd it with new light, and cheat,
With revelations, dreams, and visions,
And apoftolic fuperftitions,
To be held forth and carry'd on by war ;
And his successor was a Presbyter,
With greater right than Haly or Abubeker.
XI.
For, as a Turk, that is to act some crime
Against his Prophet's holy law,
Is wont to bid his soul withdraw,
And leave his body for a time";
So, when some horrid action 's to be done,
Our Turkish profelyte puts on
Another fpirit, and lays by his own ;
And, when his over-heated brain
Turns giddy, like his brother Mussulman,
225
He 's judg’d inspir’d, and all his frenzies held
To be prophetic, and reveal'd.
The one believes all madmen to be faints,
Which th' other cries him down for and abhors,
And yet in madness all devotion plants,
230 And where he differs most concurs ;
Both
Both equally exact and just
In perjury and breach of trust;
So like in all things, that one Brother
Is but a counterpart of th' other ;
235
And both unanimously damn
And hate (like two that play one game)
Each other for it, while they strive to do the same.
XII.
Both equally design to raise
Their churches by the felf-fame ways;
With war and ruin to affert
Their doctrine, and with sword and fire convert;
To preach the gospel with a drum,
And for convincing overcome :
And though, in wor/hiping of God, all blood
as by his own laws disallow'd,
Both hold no holy rites to be so good,
And both, to propagate the breed
Of their own Saints, one way proceed;
For luft and rapes in war repair as fast
250
As fury and destruction walte :
Both equally allow all crimes,
As lawful means to propagate a sect;
Før laws in war can be of no effect,
And licence does more good in gospel-times. 255
Hence 'tis that holy wars have ever been
The horrid'ft scenes of blood and sin;
For, when Religion does recede
From her own nature, nothing but a breed
Of prodigies and hideous monsters can succeed. 260
UPON
NIS well that equal Heaven has plac'd
Those joys above, that to reward
The just and virtuous are prepar'd,
Beyond their reach, until their pains are past;
Else men would rather venture to possess
By force, than earn, their happiness ;
And only take the devil's advice,
As Adam did, how soonest to be wise,
Though at th’expence of Paradise :
For, as some say; to fight is but a base
Mechanic handy-work, and far below
A generous fpirit t' undergo;
So 'tis to take the pains to know:
Which fome, with only confidence and face,
More easily and ably do ;
For daring nonsense seldom fails to hit,
Like scatter'd shot, and pass with some for wit.
Who would not rather make himself a judge,
And boldly ufurp the chair,
Than with dull industry and care
Endure to study, think, and drudge,
For that which he much sooner may advance
With obstinate and pertinacious ignorance ?
II.
For all men challenge, though in spite
Of Nature and their stars, a right
To censure, judge, and know,
Though she can only order who
Shall be, and who fall ne'er be, wise :
Then why should those whom she denies
Her favour and good graces tv,
Not strive to take opinion by surprize,
And ravish what it were in vain to wooe ?
For he that desperately assumes
The censure of all wits and arts,
Though without judgment, ikill, and parts,
Only to startle and amase,
And malk his ignorance (as Indians use
With gaudy-colour'd plumes
Their homely nether-parts t'adorn),
Can never fail to captive fome,
That will submit to his oraculous doom,
And reverence what they ought to scorn ;
Admire his sturdy confidence
For solid judgment and deep tense :
And credit purchas’d without pains or wit,
Like stolen pleasures, ought to be moft sweet.
III.
Two self-admirers, that combine
Against the world, may pass a fine
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