The loyal nonconformist; or, An account what he dare swear, and vvhat not.

The loyal nonconformist; or, An account what he dare swear, and vvhat not.

Table of contents

The Loyal Nonconformist; OR, An Account what he dare swear, and what not.

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The Loyal Nonconformist; OR, An Account what he dare swear, and what not.

I Fear an Oath, before I swear to take it;

And well I may, for 'tis the Oath of God:

I fear an Oath, when I have sworn, to break it;

And well I may, for Vengeance hath a Rod.

And yet I may swear, and must too, 'tis due

Both to my Heav'nly, and my Earthly King:

If I assent, it must be full and true;

And if I promise, I must do the thing.

I am no Quaker, not at all to swear;

Nor Papist, to swear East, and mean the West;

But am a Protestant, and shall declare

What I cannot, and what I can protest.

I never will endeavour Alteration

Of Monarchy, or of that Royal Name,

Which God hath chosen to cōmand this Nation,

But will maintain his Person, Crown & Fame:

What he commands, if Conscience say not nay,

(For Conscience is a greater King than he)

For Conscience-sake, not Fear, I will obey;

And if not Active, Passive I will be.

I'll pray that all his Subjects may agree,

And never more be crumbled into parts;

I will endeavour that his Majestie

M [...]y not be King of Clubs, but King of Hearts.

The Royal Oa [...] I swear I will defend;

But [...] Ivy which doth hug it so,

I swar that is a Thief, and not a Friend,

And about Steeples fitter for to grow.

The Civil-Government I will obey;

But for Church-Policy I swear I doubt it;

And if my Bible want th' Apocrypha,

I'l swear my Book may be compleat without it.

I dare not swear Church-Government is right

As it should be; but this I dare to swear,

If they should put me to't, the Bishops might

Do better, and be better than they are.

Nor will I swear for all that they are worth,

That Bishopricks will stand, & Doomsday see;

And yet I'l swear the Gospel holdeth forth

Christ with his Ministers till then will be.

That Peter was a Prelate they aver;

But I'l not swear't when all is said and done

But I dare swear, and hope I shall not err,

He preach'd a hundred Sermons to their one.

Peter a Fisher was, and he caught Men:

And they have Nets, & in them catch Men too;

Yet I'l not swear they are alike, for them

He caught he sav'd: these catch, & them undo.

I dare not swear that Courts Ecclesiastick

Do in their Laws make just and gentle Votes;

But I'l be sworn that Burton, Pryn and Bastwick

Were once Ear-witnesses of harsher Notes.

Archdeacons, Deans & Chapters are brave men,

By Canon, not by Scripture: but to this,

If I be call'd, I'll swear, and swear agen,

That no such Chapter in my Bible is.

I'll not condemn those Presbyterians, who

Refused Bishopricks, and might have had'em:

But Mistris Calamy I'll swear doth do

As well as if she were a Spiritual Madam.

For Holy Vestments I'll not take an Oath

Which Linen most Canonical may be;

Some are for Lawn, some Holland, some Scotscloth;

And Hemp for some is fitter than all three.

Paul had a Cloak, and Books, & Parchments too;

But that he wore a Surplice I'll not swear,

Nor that his Parchments did his Orders shew,

Or in his Books there was a Common-Prayer.

I owe assistance to the King by Oath;

And if he please to put the Bishops down,

As who knows what may be, I should be loth

To see Tom Beckets Mitre push the Crown.

And yet Church-Government I do allow,

And am contented Bishops be the men;

And that I speak in earnest, here I vow

Where we have one, I wish we might have ten.

In fine, the Civil Power I'le obey,

And seek the Peace & Welfare of the Nation:

If this won't do, I know not what to say,

But farewel London, farewel Corporation.

R. W.

§

§

Printed in the Year, 1666.

Information about this book

Title statement

The loyal nonconformist; or, An account what he dare swear, and vvhat not.

Wild, Robert, 1609-1679.

Edition statement

1666

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A96485

ID [STC]

Wing W2141

ID [STC]

ESTC R228842

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

45578507

ID [OCLC]

ocm 45578507

ID [VID]

172420

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A96485)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 172420)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2628:42)

Source

— The loyal nonconformist; or, An account what he dare swear, and vvhat not., Wild, Robert, 1609-1679..

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.)

s.n.],. [London :: Printed in the year, 1666.. (Signed: R.W.) (Author and place of publication suggested by Wing.) (In verse.) (Reproduction of original in the Society of Antiquaries (London, England).)

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