English Puritan & Reformed

A Poem Upon Their Majestys Speeches

John Tutchin (1661-1707) · 415 words · 2 min

The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A63968.0001.001

Project Note

This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.

This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.

Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.

However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.

This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.

Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org

       A POEM upon Their MAJESTIES
Speeches to the Nonconformist Ministers.
      
       OUr Churches
       
        Ark
       
       over Troubled Waters rode,
      
       Like that blest Ship whose burden was a
       
        God;
       
       In vain we judged the
       
        Card
       
       or
       
        Sailers
       
       Cares,
      
       Our
       
        Peters
       
       Faith, or our
       
        Apostles
       
       Prayers:
      
       But when our Mighty
       
        Savior's
       
       came on board,
      
       The Stormy Winds and Waves no longer roar'd;
      
       At whose Approach the gloomy Shadows brake,
      
       And of the Light all Human kind partake:
      
       No home-bred Jars or Pious Frenzy burns,
      
       But wild Confusion into Order turns:
      
       We bless our Ears and Eyes, and all Admire,
      
       Queen
       
        Mary's
       
       Voice tuned by King
       
        David
       
       's Lyre;
      
       The Glorious
       
        Pair
       
       in equal Sounds agree,
      
       And Subjects Joys complete the Harmony.
      
       Let
       
        Levi
       
       's Tribe to
       
        Ergo
       
       's Bid adieu,
      
       Or still their Metaphysick Toils persue,
      
       Thro' Senseless
       
        Labyrinths
       
       the People draw,
      
       Confound the Gospel, and perplex the Law.
      
       Our
       
        Royal Pair
       
       a safer passage lead,
      
       And in the paths of Truth and Love do tread.
      
       Hail
       
        Mighty Two
       
       ! our common Votes approve;
      
       You are the
       
        God of War
       
       and
       
        Queen of Love.
       
       As the Sun's Beams replenisheth the Earth,
      
       Purges the Flood, and gives to Seasons birth;
      
       So your bright Ray diffused within our Sphere,
      
       Gives Vital Warmth to every Creature there:
      
       Our Heats you cool, and moderate their Force,
      
       And of our Passions stop th' unruly course;
      
       By great Examples, you our Love provoke,
      
       And reconcile the
       
        Cassock
       
       to the
       
        Cloak:
       
       Beneath your Shadow we in safety sit,
      
       And all our former Toils and Scars forget.
      
       By you the Tyrant Monsters are undone,
      
       And all the Force of
       
        Hell
       
       and
       
        Rome
       
       o'rethrown;
      
       Religious Freedom all our Saints enjoy,
      
       No more shall frantic Zeal the
       
        Church
       
       annoy,
      
       Nor shall it dread a fatal Shipwrack more,
      
       In Stormy
       
        Adria
       
       or
       
        Melita
       
       's shore;
      
       When charmed to Sense, the giddy
       
        Priesthood
       
       yield,
      
       And all destructive Errors quit the Field.
      
       What though' we did by
       
        Zion's
       
       Waters mourn?
      
       The Golden Age and Golden days return.
      
       The Pristine Ages now we imitate,
      
       We imp their Grandeur, and we wish their Fate.
      
       When
       
        God
       
       appointed Kings with his own Voice,
      
       And joyful people blest him for the Choice;
      
       Then
       
        Kingly
       
       Virtues set the
       
        Monarch
       
       forth,
      
       And not Succession Crown'd him, but his worth.
      
       Such is thy Fate, blest
       
        Isle!
       
       and mayest thou be
      
       A Blessing to thy Prince as He's to thee!
      
       May he thy Altars build, and Temples rear,
      
       And late a Crown of Glory may he wear.
      
        By
       
       John Tutchin

A Poem Upon Their Majestys Speeches

Project Note

A POEM upon Their MAJESTIES Speeches to the Nonconformist Ministers.