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Meffiah King anointed, could not beare

Through pride that fight, and thought himself im-
Deep malice thence conceiving & disdain, [paird.
Soon as midnight brought on the duskie houre
Friendliest to fleep and filence, he refolv'd
With all his Legions to dislodge, and leave
Unworshipt, unobey'd the Throne fupream
Contemptuous, and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake.
Sleepft thou, Companion dear, what sleep can
Thy eye-lids? and remembreft what Decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath past the lips

[clofe

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Of Heav'ns Almightie. Thou to me thy thoughts
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? new Laws thou seest impos'd;
New Laws from him who reigns, new minds may
In us who serve, new Counfels, to debate [raise
What doubtful may enfue, more in this place
To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou
Of all those Myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim Night
Her fhadowie Cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me thir Banners wave,
Homeward with flying march where we poffefs
The Quarters of the North, there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our King
The great Meffiah, and his new commands,
Who speedily through all the Hierarchies
Intends to pafs triumphant, and give Laws.
So fpake the falfe Arch-Angel, and infus’d
Bad influence into th' unwarie breft

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Of his Affociate; hee together calls,

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Or feveral one by one, the Regent Powers,
Under him Regent, tells, as he was taught,
That the most High commanding, now ere Night,
Now ere dim Night had difincumberd Heav'n,
The great Hierarchal Standard was to move;
Tells the fuggested cause, and cafts between
Ambiguous words and jealoufies, to found
Or taint integritie; but all obey'd
The wonted fignal, and superior voice
Of thir great Potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heav'n;
His count'nance, as the Morning Starr that guides
The starrie flock, allur'd them, and with lyes
Drew after him the third part of Heav'ns Hoft:
Mean while th' Eternal eye, whose fight difcernes
Abstruseft thoughts, from forth his holy Mount
And from within the golden Lamps that burne
Nightly before him, saw without thir light
Rebellion rifing, faw in whom, how fpred
Among the fons of Morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppofe his high Decree;
And smiling to his onely Son thus faid.

Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, Heir of all my might,
Neerly it now concernes us to be sure
Of our Omnipotence, and with what Arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of Deitie or Empire, such a foe

Is rifing, who intends to erect his Throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to trie

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In battel, what our Power is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all imploy
In our defence, left unawares we lose
This our high place, our Sanctuarie, our Hill.

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To whom the Son with calm aspect and cleer
Light'ning Divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mightie Father, thou thy foes
Juftly haft in derifion, and secure

Laugh'ft at thir vain defignes and tumults vain,
Matter to mee of Glory, whom thir hate
Illuftrates, when they see all Regal Power
Giv'n me to quell thir pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue
Thy Rebels, or be found the worst in Heav'n.

So fpake the Son, but Satan with his Powers Farr was advanc't on winged speed, an Host 741 Innumerable as the Starrs of Night,

Or Starrs of Morning, Dew-drops, which the Sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flouer.
Regions they pafs'd, the mightie Regencies
Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones
In thir triple Degrees, Regions to which
All thy Dominion, Adam, is no more
Then what this Garden is to all the Earth,
And all the Sea, from one entire globofe
Stretcht into Longitude; which having pass'd
At length into the limits of the North
They came, and Satan to his Royal feat
High on a Hill, far blazing, as a Mount
Rais'd on a Mount, with Pyramids and Towrs

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From Diamond Quarries hew'n, & Rocks of Gold,

The Palace of great Lucifer, (fo call
That Structure in the Dialect of men
Interpreted) which not long after, hee
Affecting all equality with God,

In imitation of that Mount whereon
Meffiah was declar'd in fight of Heav'n,
The Mountain of the Congregation call'd;
For thither he affembl'd all his Train,
Pretending fo commanded to consult
About the great reception of thir King,
Thither to come, and with calumnious Art
Of counterfeted truth thus held thir ears.

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[Powers,

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Thrones, Dominations, Princedomes, Vertues,
If these magnific Titles yet remain
Not meerly titular, fince by Decree
Another now hath to himself ingrofs't
All Power, and us eclipft under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This onely to confult how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honours new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how endur'd,
To one and to his image now proclaim'd?
But what if better counsels might erect

Our minds and teach us to caft off this Yoke?
Will ye fubmit your necks, and chuse to bend
The fupple knee ? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know your felves
Natives and Sons of Heav'n poffeft before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,

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Equally free; for Orders and Degrees
Jarr not with liberty, but well confift.
Who can in reason then or right affume
Monarchie over fuch as live by right
His equals, if in power and fplendor lefs,
In freedome equal? or can introduce
Law and Edict on us, who without law
Erre not, much lefs for this to be our Lord,
And look for adoration to th' abuse
Of those Imperial Titles which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve?

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Thus farr his bold difcourfe without controule Had audience, when among the Seraphim Abdiel, then whom none with more zeale ador'd The Deitie, and divine commands obei'd, Stood up, and in a flame of zeale fevere The current of his fury thus oppos'd.

O argument blafphemous, false and proud!
Words which no eare ever to hear in Heav'n
Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate
In place thy felf fo high above thy Peeres.
Canft thou with impious obloquie condemne 810
The just Decree of God, pronounc't and sworn,
That to his only Son by right endu'd
With Regal Scepter, every Soule in Heav'n
Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due
Confess him rightful King? unjust thou saist
Flatly unjust, to binde with Laws the free,
And equal over equals to let Reigne,
One over all with unfucceeded power.

Shalt thou give Law to God, shalt thou dispute
With him the points of libertie, who made

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