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<ETS>
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<DATE>2008-04-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080312.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06584">
<STC T="W">W2142</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99884351</BIBNO>
<VID>182820</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 19 -->
<HEAD>The Loyal Non-Conformi&s;t, OR; An Account what hedare&s;wear, and what not.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>I Fear an <HI>Oath,</HI> before I &s;wear, to take it;</L>
<L>And well I may, for 'tis the Oath of God:</L>
<L>I fear <HI>Oath,</HI> when I have &s;worn, to break it;</L>
<L>And well I may, for Vengeance hath a Rod.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And yet I <HI>may</HI> &s;wear, and <HI>mu&s;t</HI> too; 'tis due</L>
<L>Both to my <HI>Heav'nly</HI> and my <HI>Earthly</HI> King:</L>
<L>If I <HI>a&s;&s;ent,</HI> it mu&s;t be <HI>full</HI> and <HI>true</HI>;</L>
<L>And if I <HI>promi&s;e</HI> I mu&s;t <HI>do</HI> the thing.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I am no <HI>Quaker,</HI> not at all to &s;wear:</L>
<L>Nor <HI>Papi&s;t,</HI> to &s;wear <HI>Ea&s;t,</HI> and mean the <HI>We&s;t</HI>:</L>
<L>But am a <HI>Prote&s;tant,</HI> and &s;hall declare</L>
<L>What I <HI>cannot,</HI> and what I <HI>can</HI> prote&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I never will endeavour Alteration</L>
<L>Of Monarchy, or of that Royal Name:</L>
<L>Which God hath cho&s;en to command this Nation;</L>
<L>But will maintain his <HI>Per&s;on, Crown</HI> and <HI>Fame,</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>What <HI>He</HI> commands, if <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> &s;ay not nay,</L>
<L>(For Con&s;cience is a greater King than He)</L>
<L>For <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> &s;ake, not <HI>Fear,</HI> I will obey;</L>
<L>And if not <HI>active, pa&s;&s;ive</HI> I will be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I'II pray, That all his Subjects may agree,</L>
<L>And never more be <HI>crumbled</HI> into <HI>Parts</HI>:</L>
<L>I will endeavour that His Maje&s;ty</L>
<L>May not be <HI>King of Clubs,</HI> but <HI>King of Hearts.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The <HI>Royal Oak</HI> I &s;wear I will defend;</L>
<L>But for the <HI>Ivy</HI> which doth hug it &s;o,</L>
<L>I &s;wear that is a <HI>Thief,</HI> and not a <HI>Friend</HI>;</L>
<L>And about <HI>Steeples</HI> fitter for to grow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The <HI>Civil Government</HI> I will obey,</L>
<L>But for <HI>Church Policie</HI> I &s;wear I doubt it:</L>
<L>And if my <HI>Bible</HI> want th' <HI>Apocrypha,</HI></L>
<L>I &s;wear my Book may be compleat without it.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I dare not &s;wear <HI>Church-Government</HI> is <HI>Right</HI></L>
<L>As it &s;hould be: but this I dare to &s;wear,</L>
<L>If they &s;hould put me to 't, the Bi&s;hops might</L>
<L><HI>Do better</HI> and <HI>be better</HI> than they are.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nor will I &s;wear for all that they arc worth;</L>
<L>That Bi&s;hopricks will &s;tand, and Doom&s;day &s;ee.</L>
<L>And yet I'll &s;wear the Go&s;pel holdeth forth;</L>
<L>Chri&s;t with his My&s;teries till then will be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>That <HI>Peter</HI> was a <HI>Prelate,</HI> they aver;</L>
<L>But I'll not &s;wear't when all is &s;aid and done:</L>
<L>But I dare &s;wear, and hope I &s;hall not err,</L>
<L>He preach'd a <HI>hundred</HI> Sermons to their <HI>one.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Peter</HI> a <HI>Fi&s;her</HI> was, and he <HI>caught</HI> men;</L>
<L>And <HI>they</HI> have <HI>Nets,</HI> and in them <HI>catch</HI> men too:</L>
<L>Yet I'll not &s;wear they are alike; for them</L>
<L>He <HI>caught</HI> he <HI>&s;av'd</HI>; the&s;e <HI>catch,</HI> and them <HI>undo.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I dare not &s;wear that <HI>Courts Eccle&s;ia&s;tick</HI></L>
<L>Do in their Laws make <HI>ju&s;t</HI> and <HI>gentle</HI> Votes:</L>
<L>But I'll be &s;worn that <HI>Burton, Pryn</HI> and <HI>Ba&s;twick,</HI></L>
<L>Were once <HI>Ear-witne&s;&s;es</HI> of har&s;her <HI>Notes.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Archdeacons, Deans</HI> and <HI>Chapters</HI> are brave men</L>
<L>By <HI>Canon,</HI> not by <HI>Scripture</HI>; but to this,</L>
<L>If I be call'd I'll &s;wear and &s;wear agen,</L>
<L>That no &s;uch <HI>Chapter</HI> in my <HI>Bible</HI> is.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I'll not condemn tho&s;e <HI>Prechyterians who</HI></L>
<L>Refu&s;ed Bi&s;hopricks and might have had 'cm:</L>
<L>But <HI>Mistre&s;s Calamy,</HI> I'll &s;wear, does do</L>
<L>As well as if &s;he were a <HI>Spiritual Madam.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For <HI>Holy Ve&s;tments</HI> I'll not take an Oath,</L>
<L>Which <HI>Linnen</HI> mo&s;t <HI>Canonical</HI> may be:</L>
<L>Some are for <HI>Lawn,</HI> &s;ome <HI>Holland,</HI> &s;ome <HI>Scotch-cloath,</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Hemp</HI> for &s;ome is fitter than all <HI>three.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Paul</HI> had a <HI>Cloak,</HI> and <HI>Books,</HI> and <HI>Parchments</HI> too;</L>
<L>But that he wore a <HI>Surpli&s;e</HI> I'll not &s;wear:</L>
<L>Nor that his <HI>Parchments</HI> did his <HI>Orders</HI> &s;how,</L>
<L>Or in his <HI>books</HI> there was a <HI>Common-Prayer.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I own <HI>A&s;&s;i&s;tance</HI> to the King by Oath;</L>
<L>And if he plea&s;e to put the Bi&s;hops down,</L>
<L>(As who knows what may be) I &s;hould be loath</L>
<L>To &s;ee <HI>Tom Beckets Mitre</HI> pu&s;h the <HI>Crown.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And yet <HI>Church-Government</HI> I do allow,</L>
<L>And am contented <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> be the men:</L>
<L>And that I &s;peak in earne&s;t, here I vow</L>
<L>Where we have <HI>One</HI> I wi&s;h we might have <HI>Ten.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In fine, the <HI>Civil Power</HI> I'll obey;</L>
<L>And &s;eek the Peace and Wellfare of the Nation:</L>
<L>If this won't do, I know not what to &s;ay;</L>
<L>But farewell <HI>London,</HI> farewell <HI>Corporation</HI>;</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>LONDON, Printed <HI>Anno Domini,</HI> MDC LXX.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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