Swearing and Lying. OR AN ANSWER TO THE SWEARING PAMPHLET.  

THat you do fear an Oath I dare not swear,  
Especially, if it the cause advance,  
And yet I dare swear that one Oath you fear,  
And that the Oath is of Allegiance.   

To God yet you will swear, and to your King,  
Provided that the Oath be mystical:  
You promise, and you must perform the thing,  
Though with the Forty, 'tis to kill Saint Paul.   

You are, you say, no Quaker to protest  
Against all Swearing; that indeed I grant:  
But if with Rome, you swore not East and West,  
How a pox gulpt ye down that Covenant?   

But what an alteration here is made?  
What subjects on a sudden ye commence?  
Maintain the Crown, and yet the Church invade;  
Come ye'l yield all things, but Obedience.   

But if that great King Conscience says not nay,  
You to the King's Commands will freely yield:  
But is not this that Conscience Sir I pray,  
That has our Land with Blood and Rapine filled?   

What splay-mouthed wish is this? let all agree  
When you the Concord crumble into parts:  
But Knaves of Clubs maugre your Villainy,  
His Majesty shall still be King of Hearts.   

You swear forsooth you will the Crown defend,  
And all the dignity of the Royal Oak:  
But here the thief usurps the name of Friend,  
The Kirk the lvie is of which you spoke.   

With the Apochryphas you cannot bear,  
And your Devotion stumbles at this log:  
And what's the reason? 'tis because ye are  
Like Tobit blind, and madder than his Dog.   

But we are got to my Lord Bishop now,  
Whose Government you dare not say is right Sir:  
But shall I tell ye why your teeth ye show,  
Jack has a peack at Aaron for his Mitre.   

I'll swear and venture all that I am worth,  
That Bishops last as long as King and Queen.  
You have already as the Act holds forth,  
Like baffled Henderson your Doomsday seen   

That Peter was a Prelate I'll maintain,  
But that he preached so oft I doubt it greatly.  
But by your leave, what Peter do you mean;  
Peter that preached at Charing-Cross so lately?   

Peter a Fisher was, and so are they,  
Would you be caught you might Salvation get:  
Their Sacred Nets they cast out day by day,  
But it seems all's not Fish that comes to th' Net.   

As for the Court, that Court Ecclesziastick  
As it is just, it merciful appears;  
To wave all others, let me instance Bastwick  
Whose Head being forfeit could compound for's Ears.   

Archdeacon's, Deans and Chapters, are the Men  
Have honour, and your envy would implead it:  
Turn over therefore, pray, your book again,  
'Tis a hard Chapter, and you cannot read it.   

spiritual Madam? pray what Madam's that?  
Herald's would swear you here false Doctrine teach.  
You refuse Bishoprics? away, ye prate;  
But Foxes scorn the Grapes they cannot reach.   

For holy Vestments Hollands sit, and Lawn,  
But as for naisty Scotch Cloth we'll have none;  
And if the Kirkists won't to this be drawn  
Then give 'em Hemp as long as 'twill hang on.   

That Paul because here's mention of a Cloak,  
A Presbyterian was I cannot swear;  
But this upon my Oath may well be spoke,  
All he converted were by Common Prayer.   

You owe Allegiance to the King, God save him,  
(But on condition Bishops may go down)  
But if he will not do as you would have him,  
You neither value Myter, nor yet Crown.   

And yet you seem to like of Mytered men;  
O Conscience see what Interest can do!  
For if instead of one we should have ten,  
'Tis ten to one, but one might fall to you.   

In fine you must not sever Church and State;  
If you not both obey, you both provoke:  
But if you will not? Porter open the Gate,  
And farewel Presbyter, farewel long Cloak.    

LONDON, Printed in the Year 1666.