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<DATE>2012-07-18</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z120611.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A75500">
<STC T="W">A3543</STC>
<STC T="T">E173_4</STC>
<STC T="T">E167_12</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99871275</BIBNO>
<VID>157061</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN APOLOGY FOR BISHOPS OR, A PLEA FOR LEARNING, AGAINST THOSE LYING, RAYLNG, AND SCANDALOUS LIBELS, SO frequent, in de&s;pight of Learning and Learned Men.</P>
<P>DEDICATED TO ALL THE LOVER of Learning and Vertue for the Reformation of the abu&s;es and corruptions of the&s;e <HI>Times.</HI></P>
<P>Printed in the yeare, 1641.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="apology">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>Introduction.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L><HI>To vindicate the truth, now ba&s;ely &s;hent;</HI></L>
<L><HI>(But yet not &s;ham'd) one mufe is forward bent;</HI></L>
<L><HI>Then give &s;uch power and guidance to my Quill,</HI></L>
<L><HI>(Thou truths defender) that thy glory &s;till,</HI></L>
<L><HI>May be the end and &s;cope of all my paines,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Which more delights my &s;oule then worldly gaines.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>INjurious times I can the&s;e latter dayes,</L>
<L>That &s;hould devoutly more and more uprai&s;e</L>
<L>Th'almighties honor, who&s;e children &s;hould grow</L>
<L>As th'ponderous world grows more and more in age?</L>
<L>Can it and we &s;o much degenerate?</L>
<L>(Oh griefe) we doe; the world is in no fault,</L>
<L>But horridly &s;he &s;hakes, and &s;tands aga&s;t,</L>
<L>To &s;ee fond Mortals de&s;perately and fa&s;t.</L>
<L>Gigantikely gain&s;t goodne&s;&s;e wage a warre,</L>
<L>And &s;et up Ignorance in Learnings charie.</L>
<L>Bi&s;hops who&s;e long and undi&s;puted right,</L>
<L>For hundred yeers &s;truck error in a fright,</L>
<L>In who&s;e &s;ucce&s;sions &s;till there has been found</L>
<L>Continuall props to bear up Englands Crown.</L>
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<L>Search Monumentall Records and you'l &s;ee</L>
<L>In ancient times muzled with Popery,</L>
<L>Still &s;ome of them like <HI>Atlas,</HI> gain&s;t &s;terne fate</L>
<L>In boy&s;tering times uphold our tottering State,</L>
<L>And truly if I might compare, and &s;how</L>
<L>The ble&s;&s;ings which from their indu&s;try grow</L>
<L>God making them his cheife&s;t in&s;truments</L>
<L>To bring to pa&s;&s;e which now's our cheif&s;t contents</L>
<L>Witne&s;&s;e graue <HI>Morton</HI> who&s;e indicions head</L>
<L>Found meanes to ioyne the white ro&s;e with the red</L>
<L>And that good <HI>Durham</HI> Bi&s;hop who&s;e wit did find,</L>
<L>The meanes by which England and Scotland's joynd.</L>
<L>But &s;ome will &s;ay, what trayterous Subjects were,</L>
<L>The&s;e Bi&s;hops, <HI>Becket, Bonner, Gardiner,</HI></L>
<L>With many more, I grant it verily</L>
<L>Many were bad (but yet) I thus reply,</L>
<L>No order &s;ince the world did fir&s;t begin,</L>
<L>Were't ne're &s;o &s;trict, but &s;ome were full of &s;in;</L>
<L>I can recite &s;uch as no man can blame,</L>
<L>Induc'd with Learning and Religious Flame:</L>
<L>E&s;pecially &s;ince time of reformation,</L>
<L>And Pope in <HI>England</HI> had &s;o &s;ore damnation,</L>
<L>Who like Gods faithfull &s;ervants full of grace,</L>
<L>Made fire their Graves to &s;ee their Makers face,</L>
<L>As <HI>Crammer, Ridley,</HI> reverend <HI>Latimer,</HI></L>
<L>Good Bi&s;hop <HI>Hooker,</HI> zealous Bi&s;hop <HI>Farrar,</HI></L>
<L>To lead the Armies of the living God,</L>
<L>(Like good <HI>Ichoiada's</HI>) they Antichri&s;t with&s;tood:</L>
<L>And after that the <HI>Marion</HI> troubles ended,</L>
<L><HI>Elizabeth,</HI> whom God &s;o long defended,</L>
<L>(Seated in tho Engli&s;h Throne) &s;he quickly ca&s;t</L>
<L>Bloud &s;ucking Tyrants into pri&s;on fa&s;t,</L>
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<L>And in their places plac'd &s;uch &s;hining Starres,</L>
<L>Who govern'd decently the Church, held warres</L>
<L>With Antichri&s;t, and knockt his triple Crowne</L>
<L>To Hell, from whence their Helli&s;h doctrin's flowne,</L>
<L>Since whom, what good men could I name, but I</L>
<L>Hate guiltine&s;&s;e of partiality,</L>
<L>And know full well my prai&s;e can little skill,</L>
<L>Since their owne workes have merited &s;o well.</L>
<L>The Function's &s;o devout, of &s;uch e&s;teeme</L>
<L>It ought to be, though &s;ome &s;ini&s;ter deeme,</L>
<L>Who&s;e boyling hearts blowne up with &s;atans &s;pirit,</L>
<L>Strike at the Churches Ba&s;is, would di&s;inherit</L>
<L>The Lords owne Tribe, and let all Ignorance,</L>
<L>Schi&s;me and Di&s;cord, or other dire mi&s;chance,</L>
<L>Come tumbling in, but that high Senates skil</L>
<L>And holy Zeale, that which is fitting, will</L>
<L>E&s;tabli&s;h and enact, let &s;landerous pennes,</L>
<L>Scrible their hum<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d rum &s;tuffe, fans right or &s;ence.</L>
<L>Let the foale Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> combe, <HI>Mercuries Me&s;&s;enger,</HI></L>
<L>And that &s;ame doughty A&s;&s;e of <HI>Lambeth Faire.</HI></L>
<L>Goe on in this mad mood like dog bolt curres,</L>
<L>Who thinke to over-throw with fal&s;e demurres,</L>
<L>The Truthes iu&s;t cau&s;e; fling Libels all about,</L>
<L>To &s;candall, raile, to vilifie and &s;lout</L>
<L>Grave reverend Fathers, each good Presbyter.</L>
<L>What though Archbi&s;hop <HI>Laud</HI> is pri&s;oner,</L>
<L>Mu&s;t that &s;ame &s;enceles, &s;oul mouth'd graceles rogue</L>
<L>Deride and &s;coffe, who would, I'm &s;ure, collogue,</L>
<L>Were <HI>Laud</HI> in honours, for to get a place,</L>
<L>Of trencher-&s;craper, or groom unto his grace,</L>
<L><HI>Laud</HI> has offended, and it is my wi&s;h,</L>
<L>That all offenders ta&s;te of <HI>Lauds</HI> owne di&s;h,</L>
<PB N="4" REF="4">
<L>But though has done ami&s;&s;e, him to defame</L>
<L>So impudently ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> a filthy &s;hame.</L>
<L>And to revile him &s;o tis much unfit,</L>
<L>For &s;uch a poeta&s;ten (devils chit)</L>
<L>To all the&s;e rogues a&s;sociates He &s;ay thus,</L>
<L>They ride the devill, not noble <HI>Pega&s;us,</HI></L>
<L>And wi&s;h them whipt and &s;tript, till their &s;trong lines</L>
<L>Make them all halters for their doughty rimes.</L>
<L>Honour gives life to learning, and the Arts,</L>
<L>Honour makes man innobled in all parts.</L>
<L>Honour excites to vertue every one,</L>
<L>Honour per&s;wades to get perfection.</L>
<L>The &s;ouldiers fights for honour, makes the ground</L>
<L>His fa&s;tned pillow, and his bed of Down,</L>
<L>VVill boldly &s;tand gain&s;t death; look as grim</L>
<L>As <HI>Mars</HI> him&s;elf, over a river &s;wim.</L>
<L>Outface a Canons wide-hell-thundring mouth</L>
<L>Out-dare, out-&s;tare all objects nor &s;o ruth.</L>
<L>All this and more for honour he'l pa&s;te by,</L>
<L>For honour fight to live, for honour dye.</L>
<L>A willing prenti&s;e, be it nere &s;o ba&s;e,</L>
<L>VVill undergo all work, bear all di&s;grace,</L>
<L>Run, flie, and trot, endure any thing,</L>
<L>In hope of honour, which Liberty may bring.</L>
<L>And &s;hall not we honour that precious Iem,</L>
<L>Learning which bears from all the Diadem;</L>
<L>VVhich makes a man in &s;pight of &s;pight full death,</L>
<L>Live &s;till renownd, immortall after breath,</L>
<L>By who&s;e fair help all dark ob&s;curities</L>
<L>Are tane away from &s;acred my &s;teries.</L>
<L>Scripture aright expounded, and whereby</L>
<L>The good profe&s;&s;ion &s;acred Theology</L>
<PB N="5" REF="4">
<L>Is &s;till more graduated, for unle&s;se</L>
<L>Learning be got, all's but emptine&s;se.</L>
<L>And certes then &s;ith Learnings &s;o profound,</L>
<L>So deare, &s;o &s;weet, there mu&s;t be fewel found</L>
<L>For to maintain it, or twill &s;vffocate</L>
<L>E&s;tate and honour, tis the needfull bait</L>
<L>That makes ingenuous wits with courage climbe</L>
<L>Up Learnings &s;teepy mountain &s;o &s;ublime.</L>
<L>A &s;hame it is in any Chri&s;tian &s;tate</L>
<L>To &s;ee a learned Clergy paupertate;</L>
<L>To &s;ee tho&s;e Academyes, who&s;e renowne</L>
<L>So long have flori&s;hed to tumble downe.</L>
<L>But Heaven be gracious to that gracious Court</L>
<L>A&s;sembled in thy name, be thou a fort</L>
<L>And a defence to them. Let them go on</L>
<L>For Church and Kingdomes reformation.</L>
<L>Reform abu&s;es, beat down &s;landerers,</L>
<L>Unto the truth that are &s;uch batterers.</L>
<L>And then, &s;o long as we have any breath,</L>
<L>VVele prai&s;e thy name, and &s;eale it with our death.</L>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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