Had dar'd of Antichrist, the impious pow'r,
Rais'd against the saving faith-in evil hour.-
Say what can fire, and sword, and torture prove,
Where nothing's taught but peace and boundless love?
Oh! how shall they, whose knowledge did unfold
The sacred Gospel's page-in days of old,-
Account for truth perverted-to man's race
Whose only business was the field or chace:-
Who uninstructed, ignorant, dark and blind,
Saw nothing lovely in the enlighten'd mind.-
Was it by you-ye guides-so false-so base-
In darkness thus was kept the human race?
Ah! were it so,-ye false ones-tremble now—
The master is at hand-will strike the blow,
Will your nefarious stewardship requite,
And send you headlong-to eternal night.

Let him who doubts of Revelation-try The Sacred Volume-with unjaundic'd eye,— He there will find-that long since, 'twas reveal'd What after-times should bring-their fiat seal'd.Will he then doubt the Almighty's sovereign pow'r, Who nam'd the time-nay even the very hour, What distant periods should produce—and where famine, or war, or pestilence appear.― Ev'n now the scatter'd Jews the faith proclaim Of such as glory in the Christian name.(2)

Where is their nation now? Where is their state?
Where is their Temple, Throne, or Potentate?
As 'twas foretold-the world they wander o'er,
From spicy Indus, unto Hecla's shore.

When the apostate Julian would have built
Their temple up again-his mind with guilt
Surcharg'd-'twas then, his first-his great design,
To overthrow the words of Truth Divine:-
But-from his purpose was the Tyrant driv'n,-
The fire obedient, burst from Earth and Heav'n,(3)
Stopp'd the attempt—so impious— and so vain,
And said JEHOVAH would uphold his reign.—
What less than inspiration could foreknow,
The pow'r of Antichrist-divulge his Law?
Who in Chrits's name should raise up hate and pride,
Revenge, or horrid war-or fratricide:-
Set nation against nation-man 'gainst man,
In opposition to the Almighty's plan,-
And loosen every bond of human life;

For love give hatred-and for peace but strife.(4)
Who the false Prophet could foresee, save God ?(5)
He rules the world-destroys it with his nod!
He future times can scan-and knows the hour,
When Thunders shall appal-or Tempests lour;-
When Earthquakes shall their pow'rful force employ,
To bury cities—or the woods destroy ;—

When wars shall ravage--or when feuds shall cease,
When science languish-or when flourish peace.—
Ye Infidels, go read prophetic lore,—

And in your mind, the Truths with ardour store,
They cannot fail to teach-that nearly all
Predicted is fulfilled-what's left, but small
That forward to we look. With anxious pains,
Then watch your garments, think of what remains. (6)

Messiah comes, when Vice is at its height, When Luxury revels through the live long night; When Christian virtues are but little known From the plebeian's station-to the throne.'Tis then the sickle he thrusts in, or reaps The hanging clusters of the purple grapes :— Is crime then at its height? Oh! arduous task To paint the scenes around, some aid I ask,— From him-whose teaching I most wish to know, That I may, in their proper colours, shew The Vices of the age-where most they spring, Whether with Peasant, Peer, or Prince, or King.— Oh! where shall I begin-what country claims The sad pre-eminence which virtue shames, That sad pre-eminence of deeds of guilt, For which, on Earth, the Saviour's blood was spilt; Unthought of all his wand'rings-all his woes, His sanguine suff'rings-and heart-rending throes,

Causing the Eternal, and the only Son

To cry "not mine-Father thy will be done."

What country stands the first in guilt this day, Most lax in morals-far from Truth astray?— Oh Italy! too plainly it is thee,

A country once, where all were reckoned free:---
Degraded nowman still his form retains;
But wears the fetters-or supports the chains,
Which superstition may on him impose;
From her alone 'tis he receives the laws
That guide his actions, or subdue his will,
To her he hearken'd-and he listens still.-
Him reason rules no more-no more she sways
Her sceptre o'er him-or extends those rays
Which teach the mind that she-and she alone,
Gives to the feelings and the temper tone:-
Induces man to live to act and feel
The Patriot's ardour-or the Patriarch's zeal.
Polluted race-you strike us with surprize,
Where man and beast unnatural lust supplies!
Where female honour, and connubial love,
Scarce one abides by-and as few approve;-
Nay both unknown.-Where vile assassins stand,
With ready instruments of death at hand;-
Where sure revenge a subtle poison yields,
From which no antidote the victim shields.

Religion too-is made a thing of sale,
And sins are pardon'd by a prescribed scale :—
By Popes invented-and by Monks approv❜d—
By Saints detested; but-by sinners lov'd.-
Hence springs a traffic up-for saving souls
Of guilty men-who, dying o'er their bowls-
In some lewd brawl-or in the harlot's arms-
The Bull secures from all impending harms.—
They paid the price-to sin whilst life remain'd,
Therefore, for sinning can they be arraign'd:-
'Tis thus they argue-but, they argue wrong,
As to their sorrow-will be known ere long :-
When call'd before him-whose eye's far too pure,
One spot of wickedness ev'n to endure.

Thy guilt Constantinople-and Rome thine-
In every nation's found-ev'n from the line,
To the bleak North, where winter holds her sway,
Or where Cape Horn is rob'd with storms and spray.
'Tis here-'tis there;-but least in countries free,-
And oh, my Britain, were it not in thee!

But with thy virtues, thou hast still some stains ;—
Though freedom thine-thine the luxuriant plains,
Thine the clear head-and thine the lion's heart
To act the hero's-or the patriot's part.-
Here then-where Freedom boasts of pow'r supreme
Where all may read the Gospel's glorious theme ;-