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From “Hudibras,” Part I.
HE was of that stubborn crew | |
| Of errant saints, whom all men grant | |
| To be the true church militant; | |
| Such as do build their faith upon | |
| The holy text of pike and gun; | 5 |
| Decide all controversies by | |
| Infallible artillery, | |
| And prove their doctrine orthodox | |
| By apostolic blows and knocks; | |
| Call fire, and sword, and desolation | 10 |
| A godly, thorough Reformation, | |
| Which always must be carried on | |
| And still be doing, never done; | |
| As if religion were intended | |
| For nothing else but to be mended. | 15 |
| A sect whose chief devotion lies | |
| In odd perverse antipathies; | |
| In falling out with that or this, | |
| And finding somewhat still amiss; | |
| More peevish, cross, and splenetic, | 20 |
| Than dog distract, or monkey sick; | |
| That with more care keep holiday | |
| The wrong than others the right way; | |
| Compound for sins they are inclined to, | |
| By damning those they have no mind to; | 25 |
| Still so perverse and opposite, | |
| As if they worshipped God for spite; | |
| The self-same thing they will abhor | |
| One way, and long another for. | |
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