The asses complaint against Balaam; or, The cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. Griffin, Lewis. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A26052 of text R16516 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A4021A). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 4 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A26052 Wing A4021A ESTC R16516 12655321 ocm 12655321 65340 2240968167

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26052) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65340) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 341:11 or 1794:11) The asses complaint against Balaam; or, The cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. Griffin, Lewis. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1661] Advertisement at end signed: Lewis Griffin. Imprint suggested by Wing. Item at reel 341:11 identified as Wing A4021A (number cancelled). Reproduction of original in Harvard University Libraries. eng Clergy -- England -- Poetry. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. eebo The asses complaint against Balaam; or, The cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. Griffin, Lewis 1661 1 563 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2008-06 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-07 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-09 Sampled and proofread 2008-09 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
THE Asses Complaint against Balaam ; Or the Cry of the COUNTRY AGAINST Ignorant and Scandalous Ministers . To the Reverend Bishops . YEE mitred Members of the House of Peers , The Kings Churchwardens , and Gods Overseers , Fathers in Christ , we your poor Children cry Oh give us Bread of Life , or else we die . For we are burd'ned with our old Sir Johns , Who when we ask for Bread do give us stones ; And only cant a Homily or two , Which Daws and Parrots may be taught to doe ; Drunkards Cannonicall , Vnhallowed Bears , That name God oftner in their oaths then Prayers . Into what darknesse will our Church be hurld If such as these be call'd The light o th' World ? These that have nought to prove themselves devout Save only this , That Cromwell turnd them out . Mistake us not , we do not mean those loyall And learned soules , who in the fiery tryall Sufferd for King and conscience sake , let such Have double honour , we shall nere think much ; But this our tender conscience disapproves , That Ravens should return as well as Doves ; And croak in Pulpits once again to bring A second Judgment on our Church and King . Though England doth not fear another losse , 'Cause God hath burnd his Rods at Charing crosse ; Yet Clergy sins may call him to the Doore Ev'n him who whip'd and scourg'd them out before . Oh therefore ye that read the sacred Laws Eject their Persons , and disown their cause : God , and the King have both condemud this crew , Then let them not be patroniz'd by you . 'T is not their Cassocks , not their Surplices We quarrell at , there is no hurt in these ; We owh their Decency , yet every Foole Cannot be call'd a Monk that weares a Cowle ; Were grace , and learning wanting ( by your leaves ) We would not pin our faith on your Lawn sleeves ; 'T is Aarons breastplate , and those sacred words Become a Churchman best , THAT THAT my Lords Which pious Baxter makes his livery , VVould all our Curates were but such as he ! Pardon my Lords , we do not make this stir To vindicate the factious Presbyter ; We hate his ways , and equally disown The zealous Rebell , as the Idle Droan ; And beg as oft to be deliver'd from The Kirk of Scotland , as the Sea of Rome ; We pray for Bishops too , Oh may ye stand To heale the sad distractions of the Land ; Then give us Priests loyall and painfull too , To give to Caefar , and to us our due . God save King Charles our Christian faiths Defender , And bring Religion to its wonted Splendour .
ADVERTISEMENT .

LOyall and Orthodox Reader , Judg charitably , I am ne'ther Presbyterian , nor Phanatick , but as true a Son of the Church of England as thy self ; for thy further satisfaction , I shall ( God willing ) present thee with an other paper , to clear my honesrintention in this .

Lewis Griffin .