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
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
Of his Affociate; hee together calls,
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
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.
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
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.
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,
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?
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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