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IX.

But when his painful gifts h' employs
In holding-forth, the virtue lies

Not in the letter of the fenfe,

But in the spiritual vehemence,

The power and difpenfation of the voice,
The zealous pangs and agonies,

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And heavenly turnings of the eyes;

The groans, with which he piously destroys

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And drowns the nonfenfe in the noise;

And grows fo loud, as if he meant to force
And take-in heaven by violence;

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To fright the Saints into falvation,

Or fcare the devil from temptation;
Until he falls fo low and hoarfe,
No kind of carnal fenfe

Can be made out of what he means:

But, as the ancient Pagans were precife
To use no fhort-tail'd beaft in facrifice,
He ftill 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 increaft;
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;

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And

And strives to carry on the Work,
Like a true primitive reforming Turk,
With holy rage, and edifying war,
More fafe 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 vifions,
And apoftolic fuperftitions,

To be held forth and carry'd on by war ;
And his fucceffor was a Presbyter,
With greater right than Haly or Abubeker.

XI.

For, as a Turk, that is to act fome crime
Against his Prophet's holy law,
Is wont to bid his foul withdraw,
And leave his body for a time;

So, when fome horrid action 's to be done,
Our Turkish profelyte puts on

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Another fpirit, and lays by his own ;

And, when his over-heated brain

Turns giddy, like his brother Muffulman,

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He 's judg'd infpir'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,

And where he differs moft concurs ;

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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;

And both unanimously damn

And hate (like two that play one game)

Each other for it, while they ftrive to do the fame.

XII.

Both equally design to raise

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Their churches by the felf-fame ways;

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With war and ruin to affert

Their doctrine, and with fword and fire convert;

To preach the gofpel with a drum,

And for convincing overcome :

And though, in worshiping of God, all blood

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Was by his own laws difallow'd,

Both hold no holy rites to be fo good,

And both, to propagate the breed

Of their own Saints, one way proceed;

For luft and rapes in war repair as fast
As fury and deftruction waste :

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Both equally allow all crimes,

As lawful means to propagate a sect;

For laws in war can be of no effect,

And licence does more good in gofpel-times.

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Hence 'tis that holy wars have ever been

The horrid ft fcenes of blood and fin;

For, when Religion does recede

From her own nature, nothing but a breed
Of prodigies and hideous monsters can fucceed.

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UPON

UPON

MODERN CRITICS.

A PINDARIC ODE.

"T

I.

IS well that equal Heaven has plac'd
Those joys above, that to reward

The juft and virtuous are prepar'd,

Beyond their reach, until their pains are past;
Elfe men would rather venture to poffefs
By force, than earn, their happiness;

And only take the devil's advice,

As Adam did, how fooneft to be wife,
Though at th' expence of Paradife :
For, as fome fay, to fight is but a base
Mechanic handy-work, and far below
A generous spirit t' undergo;

So 'tis to take the pains to know:

Which fome, with only confidence and face,
More eafily and ably do;

For daring nonfenfe feldom fails to hit,

Like scatter'd shot, and pass with fome for wit.
Who would not rather make himself a judge,
And boldly ufurp the chair,

Than with dull industry and care

Endure to ftudy, think, and drudge,

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For

For that which he much fooner may advance
With obftinate and pertinacious ignorance?

II.

For all men challenge, though in spite
Of Nature and their ftars, a right
To cenfure, judge, and know,
Though the can only order who
Shall be, and who fhall ne'er be, wife:
Then why fhould thofe whom she denies
Her favour and good graces to,

25.

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Not strive to take opinion by furprize,

And ravish what it were in vain to wooe?

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Their homely nether-parts t' adorn),

Can never fail to captive fome,

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That will fubmit to his oraculous doom,

And reverence what they ought to scorn;
Admire his sturdy confidence

For folid judgment and deep fenfe :

And credit purchas'd without pains or wit,
Like ftolen pleasures, ought to be moft fweet.

III.

Two felf-admirers, that combine

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Against the world, may pafs a fine

Upon

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