Classic Poem

Passive-Obedience and Non-Resistance out of Doors are gone;
Sherlock himself, that Man of Sense,
Hassworn, some say, to save his Pence:
Others will have it that he swore,
'Cause grown ridiculously poor;
And that, like Job , upon an Hill
Of Dung he sat, lamenting, while
His wiser Wife reproaching said,
He for himself no Reason had;
For why (quoth she) great Tillotson ,
Stillingfleet, Patrick, Tenison,
Horneck, Henchman , and the whole Gown,
Preach up for swearing thro' the Town:
Nay, Oxford Jane , to keep his Place,
We hear has turn'd his other Face;
And also Beveridge the brave,
And who can think these play the Knave?
Since whilom they, and some few more
Baffled Scotch Burnet o'er and o'er;
Forcing our Synod to comply,
And own three Creeds and Trinity .
In Cambridge too, the famous Gower
Hinder'd others, himself yet swore:
So lately Salamanca Oates ,
By gentle swearing, sav'd our Throats:
Besides (quoth she) our Dukes place El —
And hundreds more too long to tell.
In learned wise, quoth Hudibras ,
As Casuist in such a Case;
He that swears against his Will,
Is of the same Opinion still:
Therefore, Dear, prithee ne'er more look
On thy Passive-Obedience Book;
But mark what others do before you,
And what great Ones will then adore you:
There's the long Robe , whose subtle Pate
First taught us how to abdicate ;
Then Mob, Car, Par, Will , and Mall ,
And of Black-Coats the Devil and all:
Thus you see 'tis more than plain,
They that swear not are Rogues in grain.