The Holy Arbor, Title page – Dedication
THE HOLY ARBOR, CONTAINING A Body of Divinity: Or the Sum and Subſtance OF Chriſtian Religion. Collected from many Orthodox Laborers in the LORDS VINEYARD; For the Benefit and Delight of ſuch as Thirſt after RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Firſt Methodically and Plainly Treated of, Then Annalized and Applied at large, By John Godolphin. J.C.D.
VVherein alſo are fully Reſolved the Queſtions of whatſoever Points of Moment have been, or are, now Controverted in DIVINITY.
Together with a large and full Alphabetical Table of ſuch Matters as are therein contained, or occaſionally handled, Either by way of Expoſition, Controverſie, or Reconciliation.
LONDON: Printed by John Field for Edmund Paxton, neer Doctors Commons; And William Royhould at the Sign of the Ʋnicorn in S. Pauls Church-yard, neer the Weſt-end. 1651.
The Curtain drawn: OR, The Front-Door of this HOLY ARBOR Unlock'd and laid wide open.
A Laughing Horizon, a ſmiling Skie,
The rightſide-Proſpect of the Lefthand-eye,
Firſt lights thee, Reader, to diſcover more
Then Janus could, had he four eyes before.
Though Lynceus wore a pair of eyes behinde,
Without this Spectacle he'd be but blinde.
Here Wiſdom's Monarch in his Marble chair
By his acuteneſs can divide a hair
Of the profoundeſt Notions, and contain
The world within the nutſhel of his Brain,
Whoſe tow'ring Eagle-eye can never want
The ſtrength or cunning of the Elephant.
On this hand ſtands a Goſpel-Prophet, ſuch
As doth not care for Circumciſing much
Thy Praedial Fruits; The world, I hear him ſay,
But one Nights lodging by, not in the way
To heaven is. The other ſide holds out
A ſtudious Artiſt muſing, he no doubt
Is ſounding, What the depth of Humane things
And findes them all but well-tun'd Fiddle-ſtrings.
Theſe hold forth Knowledge to the life; then be
Perſwaded to become One of the Three.
Let fall thine eye one glance, and thou ſhalt ſee
The Church her Motto or Epitomy,
The ſtaming Buſh not burnt; the Church indeed
Is heart-whole, though her Members ever bleed.
Truth's Emblem in her HOLY ARBOR ſtands,
The Light of Sun and Scripture in her hands,
Tramp'ling on all the Harneſſe; of War;
'Yond Archimedes reach a Virgin-ſtar;
She lives, lives chaſte, and from pollution free,
Maugre Romes Murder and Adultery.
The world her Pedeſtral; in flames, becauſe
It will no Loyaliſt be unto her Laws,
Idolater, Iew, Turk, Inſidel, turn
Any thing, rather then a Martyr burn;
Hence flames the World indeed, whoſe Fate that read
Shall finde her in her aſhes buried,
'Cauſe from her Non-age to her riper youth
Thence to her dotage ſhe deſpis'd the Truth.
When Shilo's Scepter now breaks forth the Skies,
High time the Saints all pray, Let God ariſe.
Thence downward caſt thy fight, exactly there
Obſerve, and then tell me if ever were
More true Devotion in a Womans breaſt,
Then to the life is there by her expreſs'd;
See how ſhe proſtrates all her ſelf o'th ground,
As if ſhe meant the Earth ſhould down reſound
To ſad Souls below, what a Savior they
Loſt by their worſhip to a god of clay.
Her breaſt kiſſes the duſt, her heart the Skies;
Faith is compounded moſt of wings and eyes.
A Lowring Horizon, a diſmal Skie,
The leftſide-Proſpect of the Righthand-eye;
Hell-black, night all over, enough to fright
An Eagle blinde, or blinde men to their ſight:
Ravens, Batts, Owls, Shrich-owls, what not, that can
Paint the Darkneſs of an unknowing man;
A Man-monſter; whoſe hollow head may paſs
For like, but not ſo wiſe, as Balaams Aſs.
Claws that can wound, corrode, and ſcratch the beſt,
Yet hath not wit to feather his own neſt,
That when his Claws are blunt, rather then fail,
He can make uſe of the Scorpions tayl.
Scarce a Creature, who, when his tongue is looſe,
Doth ſtaulk, and hiſs, and gaggle like a Gooſe,
That knows no more then Tom, then he no more
Whoſe brain leaks all out at his noſe before,
Swear by his vaſt eſtate who onelyonly can,
That ſure he was intended for a Man;
He's now become, ſo to both Sexes knit,
An Epidemical Hermophrodite;
Old Superſtitions blear-eyed Mother,
Schiſm's, Error's, Hereſie's Foſter-brother,
A Demi-Signpoſt guilt, or an empty Cask,
A Woodcocks brain that's troubled with the Lask.
A man would think him ſomething that were made
For money, to draw Cuſtom to the Trade
Of Ginns and Roadnets. Scan this, and great chance
If all together ſpel not Ignorance.
Convey thine eye a little lower, ſee
The ghaſtly Draught of Hell's Epitomy
Diſgorging Error; Heaven doth engage
A branded ſword, leſt it infect this Page.
Her twilights both are vayl'd, ſhe cannot ſee,
She's ſo beſmeard with foul Hypocriſie.
A pair of Spectacles in this hand goes
For eyes, which better would become her noſe;
In that a Mole, though Blinde, can undermine
Deep-laid Foundation; then look well to thine.
She's ſnar'd, ſhe that ſo much Liberty taught
T'others, is now her ſelf in Engines caught.
May the ſnare prove ſtrong, may't ne;e be broken
Till her mouth be ſtopt, or her eyes be open.
Laſtly, Obſerve a Superſtitious Ape
Cas'd in a Fryars Frock without a Cape,
Which, when his Zeal grows cold, ſerves as a Charm
To re-inflame 't and keep his Worſhip warm.
If this new Father were but at the Court
Of Rome, doubtleſs 'twould make moſt exe'lent ſport
Are there not many ſuch? why not an Ape
Like him, as well as he i'th others ſhape?
Reader, this Holy Arbor's door th' haſt ſeen
Wide op'n; Be ſerious now, and enter in.
The Holy Arbour Contayning ye whole Body of Divinity or A Cluster of Spirituall Grapes, gathered from the Vines of certaine Moderne & Orthodox Laborers in the Lords Viniard; Preſsd For the Spirituall delight and benefit of all such as thirst after Righteouſneſs
By Jo: Godolphin. I.C.D
Exumat Deus
Ema nuoll
Ad te Domine
Ad te mi Jesu.
… diſsipentur inimici
Printed by John Feild for Edmund Paxton neere Doctors Commons and William
TO THE TRULY HONORABLE, THE POOR in SPIRIT.
Right Humble,
THe mighty Nazarites Riddle, Out of the Eater came Meat, and out of the Strong came Sweetneſs, Judg. 14.14. was the ſecond Courſe ſerved in at his Marriage-Feaſt; which by way of Alluſion may not unaptly be applied to you: Came not the Spirit of God upon you at the Conqueſt of that devouring Lyon, in the fierce Aſſaults of his ingenious Temptations? At your return from which Spiritual Combat, began you not to feed on the Peace of Good Conſciences, when the Word of the Lord became as Honey in your mouthes? Is not this a Riddle to the Ʋncircumciſed of the World?
In Congratulation of which no common Victory, is this Addreſs no leſs properly then humbly proſtrated to you onelyonly, as the moſt faithful Guardians of this Holy Arbor; whoſe unfenced Ambulage, when ſpiced at your approach by the fragrancy of your Innocency, craves the Subterfuge of your Prayers.
As for thoſe extravagant Weeds which grow ſo far beſide the Alley of your Converſation, they are left to the Euroclydons of the Air: But for the Errata's onelyonly of the Artiſt, they may fall within the ambit of your Charity, to dictionate according to the Rule thereof.
The Civil man, that looking through the crevice of Morality, ſpies Religion afar off, will doubtleſs pretend a Right to many precious Flowers in this Arbor, as legally deſcended to him from his Phariſaick Parents, under a Title of much ſupercilious Sanctity, and no little Righteouſneſs; whileſt the peſtilent air of ſulphur'd-mouthed Prophaners, enhazard the faireſt leaves of withering into waſte paper: But ſince neither the Ʋſurping Hypocriſie of the one, nor the Malicious Satanity of the other, was ever yet Prayer-proof; Be it your delight to engage your intereſt with Heaven; Be it your Spirits holy Rapture, to wreſtle with the Angel of the Covenant: Mount Eliſha's Chariot, and travel a Prayers journey for a Flaming Sword.
Yours in all Faithful Obſervance, J. G.