The asses complaint against Balaam; or, The cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. Griffin, Lewis. 1661 Approx. 4 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26052 Wing A4021A ESTC R16516 12655321 ocm 12655321 65340 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26052) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65340) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 341:11 or 1794:11) The asses complaint against Balaam; or, The cry of the country against ignorant and scandalous ministers. Griffin, Lewis. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1661] Advertisement at end signed: Lewis Griffin. Imprint suggested by Wing. Item at reel 341:11 identified as Wing A4021A (number cancelled). Reproduction of original in Harvard University Libraries. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Clergy -- England -- Poetry. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2008-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-09 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2008-09 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Asses Complaint against Balaam ; Or the Cry of the COUNTRY AGAINST Ignorant and Scandalous Ministers . To the Reverend Bishops . YEE mitred Members of the House of Peers , The Kings Churchwardens , and Gods Overseers , Fathers in Christ , we your poor Children cry Oh give us Bread of Life , or else we die . For we are burd'ned with our old Sir Johns , Who when we ask for Bread do give us stones ; And only cant a Homily or two , Which Daws and Parrots may be taught to doe ; Drunkards Cannonicall , Vnhallowed Bears , That name God oftner in their oaths then Prayers . Into what darknesse will our Church be hurld If such as these be call'd The light o th' World ? These that have nought to prove themselves devout Save only this , That Cromwell turnd them out . Mistake us not , we do not mean those loyall And learned soules , who in the fiery tryall Sufferd for King and conscience sake , let such Have double honour , we shall nere think much ; But this our tender conscience disapproves , That Ravens should return as well as Doves ; And croak in Pulpits once again to bring A second Judgment on our Church and King. Though England doth not fear another losse , ' Cause God hath burnd his Rods at Charing crosse ; Yet Clergy sins may call him to the Doore Ev'n him who whip'd and scourg'd them out before . Oh therefore ye that read the sacred Laws Eject their Persons , and disown their cause : God , and the King have both condemud this crew , Then let them not be patroniz'd by you . 'T is not their Cassocks , not their Surplices We quarrell at , there is no hurt in these ; We owh their Decency , yet every Foole Cannot be call'd a Monk that weares a Cowle ; Were grace , and learning wanting ( by your leaves ) We would not pin our faith on your Lawn sleeves ; 'T is Aarons breastplate , and those sacred words Become a Churchman best , THAT THAT my Lords Which pious Baxter makes his livery , VVould all our Curates were but such as he ! Pardon my Lords , we do not make this stir To vindicate the factious Presbyter ; We hate his ways , and equally disown The zealous Rebell , as the Idle Droan ; And beg as oft to be deliver'd from The Kirk of Scotland , as the Sea of Rome ; We pray for Bishops too , Oh may ye stand To heale the sad distractions of the Land ; Then give us Priests loyall and painfull too , To give to Caefar , and to us our due . God save King Charles our Christian faiths Defender , And bring Religion to its wonted Splendour . ADVERTISEMENT . LOyall and Orthodox Reader , Judg charitably , I am ne'ther Presbyterian , nor Phanatick , but as true a Son of the Church of England as thy self ; for thy further satisfaction , I shall ( God willing ) present thee with an other paper , to clear my honesrintention in this . Lewis Griffin .