The Chemerarims, the learnedst Priests, of all
The numerous Swarms which did belong to Baal,
Bred up in subtil Arts, to Jews well known,
And fear’d for Bloody Morals of their own;
Who in the Cause of Baal no one would spare,
But for his sake on all Mankind make War,
Counting it lawful Sacred Kings to smite,
Who favor’d not their God, or was no Baalite,
These were the Idol’s known, and great Support,
Who in Disguise creep into every Court,
Where they soon Faction raise, and by their Arts,
Insinuate into the Princes Hearts:
Wriggle themselves into Intreagues of State,
Sweet Peace destroy, and Bloody Wars create.
77 Unwearied still, they deep Designs pursue;
What can’t a Chemarim, and Belzeebub do?
For cunning Plot, Trepan, for Oaths and Sham,
The Devil must give place to Chemarim.
These subtil Priests, in Habit black and grave;
Each man a Saint in shew, in Heart a Knave,
Did in Judea swarm, grew great withall,
And like th’ Egyptian Frogs to Court they crawl:
Where, like them too, they never are at rest;
But Bed and Board of Kings, with Filth infest.
To every Shape they could themselves transform,
Angels could seem, but still their Aim was Harm.
They all the Sects among the Jews could ape,
And went about disguiss’d in every Shape.
One imitates the Zealous Pharisee,
The Essens this, the dammee Sadduce he;
And such their ready, and their subtil Wit,
For every Trade, and every Science fit:
They Credit got, and stole into the Heart,
And from their God, did many Souls pervert,
Who seeming Jews, or what they were before,
In Secret did the Idol Baal adore;
Whole false Religion was but loose, and few
Could bear the Righteous Strictness of the true.
Thus these Disciples of the hellish Brood,
Disguis’d, among the Jews, themselves intrude,
And with the purer Wheat, their Tares they sow,
Saw their bad Crop near to an Harvest grow,
And hop’d that they again should rule the State:
For e’er the days of good Jehosaphat,
Through all the Land Baal’s Worship was allow’d,
And King and People to gross Idols bow’d.
The Priests, like Bloody Tyrants did command;
They and their Gods, did wholly rule the Land;
And every one who would not bow to Baal,
Fled thence, or else by Fire, or Sword did fall:
But that good King a Reformation made,
Their Idols, and their Groves he quite destroy’d;
In every place their Altars overthrew,
78 And Chemarims he banished or slew.
Since when (except in Athaliah’s Reign,
Who for a space, set Idols up again,
Tormenting those to Death who would not turn,
And did the Jewish Rabbins slay or burn)
These crafty Priests, by Plots did never cease,
To spoil the Beauty of Judea’s Peace.
Whilst Joash reign’d, by sly and subtil Arts,
They first estrang’d from him his Peoples Hearts.
Saw Faction’s Sparks, and unseen blew the Fire,
Till Rebells ’gainst that good King did conspire:
Then Cursed Zabed of proud Ammon’s Line,
And Moabitish Jehozabad joyn,
And to their Side some Pharisees they drew,
(Joash did to their Sect no Favor shew)
And th’ Essens, who then daily numerous grew,
Rebell, and their good King, like Murtherers, slew.
Then Amazia over Jordan fled,
Till God had struck the Tyrant Zabed dead;
When all his Subjects, who his Fate did moan,
With joyful Hearts, restor’d him to his Throne;
Who then his Father’s Murtherers destroy’d,
And a long, happy, peaceful Reign enjoy’d.
Belov’d of all, for merciful was He,
Like God, in the Superlative Degree.
The Jewish Sects he did not seek to quell,
Yet Laws he made they might no more rebell:
Wisely about them made of Laws a Fence,
Yet kind, would not oppress their Conscience.
The Pharisee, a very numerous Sect,
Above the rest were in their Worship strict:
In their own Synagogues he let them pray,
And worship God after their stricter way.
In Peace all liv’d, and former strife forgot,
The Chemarims and Hell had hatch’d a Plot:
A Plot form’d in the deep Abyss below,
Law and Religion both to overthrow.
The King was by their Bloody Swords to fall,
That all Judea might submit to Baal.
79 Great were their Hopes, and deep was their Design.
The Train already laid to spring their Mine;
Not dreaming Heav’n could their Plots betray,
They only waited an auspicious day.
Nor fail’d their Plot for want of Common Sence,
As some endeavor’d to persuade the Prince:
For with much Art, great Industry and Care,
They all things for their black Design prepare.
Not hatch’d by Common Brains, or men of Earth,
Nor was’t the Issue of a suddain Birth;
But long designing, and well laid it seems,
By Baal’s Arch-priests, and subtil Chemarins.
The Canaanites dispersed through the Land,
O’er whom Baal’s Priests had absolute Command,
Were bound with Oaths, the Priests Religious Charms,
To Secresie, and furnished with Arms.
Heads they had got, as well as Hands to fight,
Some zealous Princes of the Canaanites,
Who ready were to guide the Common Rout,
So soon as their Conspiracy broke out.
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Ægypt of Warlike Jews was still afraid, Lest as of Old, they should that Land invade, To further this Design had promis’d Aid. | } |
Thus on a firm Foundation they had wrought
Their great Design, well built to Humane thought:
Tho’ nothing that weak Mortals e’er design’d,
But Folly seems to the Eternal Mind,
Who blasting man’s vain Projects, lets him know,
He sits above, sees and rules all below.
This wicked Plot, the Nations Bain and Curse,
So bad no man can represent it worse:
Want only Amazia to destroy,
But that they might the Rites of Baal enjoy:
For the good Amazia being gone,
They had design’d a Baalite for the Throne.
Of all their Hopes and Plots, here lay the Store:
For what Encouragement could they have more,
When they beheld the King’s own Brother fall,
From his Religion, and to worship Baal?
80 The Priest well knew what Pow’r, and what Controul
He had usurp’d o’re ev’ry Baalite’s Soul,
That such a Prince must their God’s Cause pursue,
And do whatever they would have him do;
Else from his Throne he should be curs’d and damn’d:
For Baal’s High-Priest, a Right t’ all Crowns had claim’d.
An Article ’tis of a Baalite’s Faith,
That o’re Crown’d Heads a Sovereignty he hath.
Thus on a sure Foundation, as they thought,
They had their Structure to Perfection wrought
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When God, who shews regard to Sacred Kings, The Plot and Plotters to Confusion brings, And in a moment down their Babel flings. | } |
A Levite, who had Baalite turn’d, and bin
One of the Order of the Chemarim,
Who in the Plot had deeply been concern’d,
And all their horrid Practices had learn’d;
Smote in his Conscience with a true Remorse,
From King and Land diverts the threat’ning Curse.
Libni, I think they call’d the Levite’s Name,
Which in Judea still will be of Fame;
Since following Heaven’s Impulse and high Command,
He prov’d a Glorious Saviour of the Land.
By him the deep Conspiracy’s o’rethrown,
The Treason, and the Traytors all made known:
For which from Baalites he had Curses store;
But by the Jews loaded with Blessings more.
The Hellish Plotters were then seiz’d upon,
And into Goals and Iron Fetters thrown;
From whence to Lawful Tryals they were born,
Condemn’d for Traytors, and hang’d up with Scorn:
Yet Chemarims with matchless Impudence,
With dying Breath avow’d their Innocence:
So careful of their Order they still were,
Lest Treason in them Scandal should appear,
That Treason they with Perjury pursue,
Having their Arch-priest’s Licence so to do.
They fear’d not to go perjur’d to the Grave,
Believing their Arch-priest their Souls could save:
81 For all God’s Power they do on him bestow,
And call him their Almighty God below.
To whom they say three powerful Keys are given,
Of Hell, of Purgatory, and of Heav’n.
No wonder then if Baalites this believe,
They should, with their false Oaths try to deceive,
And gull the People with their Dying Breath,
Denying all their Treason at their Death.
This made Impression on some easie Minds,
Whom or good Nature, or false Pity blinds;
Mov’d their Compassion, and stirr’d up their Grief,
And of their dying Oaths caus’d a Belief.
This did effect what the curs’d Traytors sought,
The Plots Belief into Discredit brought,
Of it at first, some Doubts they only rais’d,
And with their Impudence the World amaz’d:
Tho’ Azyad’s Murder did the Jews convince,
Who was a man most Loyal to his Prince,
And by the Bloody Chemarims did fall,
Because he seiz’d the Trayt’rous Priests of Baal:
Tho’ Gedaliah’s Letters made all plain,
Who was their Scribe, and of a ready Brain:
A Levite’s Son, but turn’d a Baalite,
Who for the King’s own Brother then did write,
And Correspondence kept i’th’ Egyptian Court,
To whom the Traytors for Advice resort;
Who like a zealous, trayt’rous Baalite dy’d,
And at the Fatal Tree the Plot deny’d.
Tho’ Amazia did at first believe,
And to the Hellish Plot did Credit give;
Tho’ the Great Council of the Sanhedrim,
Among the Jews always of great Esteem,
Declar’d to all the World this Plot to be,
An Hellish, and a curs’d Conspiracy,
To kill the King, Religion to o’rethrow,
And cause the Jews their Righteous Laws forgoe;
To make the People to dumb Idols fall,
And in the place of God, to set up Baal:
Tho’ all the People saw it, and believ’d;
Tho’ Courts of Justice, hard to be deceiv’d,
82 Had added to the rest their Evidence,
Yet with a strange unheard of Impudence,
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The Baalites all so stoutly had deny’d Their Hellish Plot, with Vows and Oaths beside, And with such Diligence themselves apply’d. | } |
They at the last, their sought for point had got,
And artfully in doubt had brought their Plot.
A thousand cunning Shams and Tricks they us’d,
Whereby the simple Vulgar were abus’d;
And some o’th’ Edomitish Evidence,
Who Mammon worship’d, were brought off with pence.
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Libni, for whom, before their Harps they strung, Who was the Subject of each Hebrew’s Song, Was villify’d by every Rascall’s Tongue. | } |