O argument blasphemous, false and proud! Words which no ear ever to hear in Heaven Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate In place thy self so high above thy Peers. Can thou with impious obloquy condemn The just Decree of God, pronounced and sworn, That to his only Son by right endued With Regal Sceptre, every Soul in Heaven Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due Confess him rightful King? unjust thou say Flatly unjust, to bind with Laws the free, And equal over equals to let Reign, One over all with unsucceeded power. Shalt thou give Law to God, shalt thou dispute With him the points of liberty, who made Thee what thou art, and formed the Powers of Heaven Such as he pleased, and circumscribed their being? Yet by experience taught we know how good, And of our good, and of our dignity How provident he is, how far from thought To make us less, bent rather to exalt Our happy state under one Head more near United. But to grant it thee unjust, That equal over equals Monarch Reign: Thy self though great and glorious does thou count, Or all Angelic Nature joint in one, Equal to him begotten Son, by whom As by his Word the mighty Father made All things, even thee, and all the Spirits of Heaven By him created in their bright degrees, Crowned them with Glory, and to their Glory named Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers, Essential Powers, nor by his Reign obscured, But more illustrious made, since he the Head One of our number thus reduced becomes, His Laws our Laws, all honour to him done Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage, And tempt not these; but hasten to appease Th'incensed Father, and the incensed Son, While Pardon may be found in time besought. O alienate from God, O spirit accursed, Forsak'n of all good; I see thy fall Determined, and thy hapless crew involved In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth No more be troubled how to quit the yoke Of Gods Messiah; those indulgent Laws Will not be now Vouchsafed, other Decrees Against thee are gon forth without recall; That Golden Sceptre which thou did reject Is now an Iron Rod to bruise and break Thy disobedience. Well thou did advise, Yet not for thy advise or threats I fly These wicked Tents devoted, least the wrath Impending, raging into sudden flame Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel His Thunder on thy head, devouring fire. Then who created thee lamenting learn, When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know. O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest Should yet remain, where faith and realty Remain not; wherefore should not strength and might There fail where Virtue fails, or weakest prove Where boldest; though to sight unconquerable? His puissance, trusting in the almighty's aide, I mean to try, whose Reason I have tried Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just, That he who in debate of Truth hath won, Should win in Arms, in both disputes alike Victor; though brutish that contest and foul, When Reason hath to deal with force, yet so Most reason is that Reason overcome. Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reached The height of thy aspiring unopposed, The Throne of God unguarded, and his side Abandoned at the terror of thy Power Or potent tongue; foo, not to think how vain Against The Omnipotent to rise in Arms; Who out of smallest things could without end Have raised incessant Armies to defeat Thy folly; or with solitary hand Reaching beyond all limit at one blow Unaided could have finished thee, and whelmed Thy Legions under darkness; but thou see All are not of thy Train; there be who Faith Prefer, and Piety to God, though then To thee not visible, when I alone Seemed in thy World erroneous to dissent From all: my Sect thou see, now learn too late How few sometimes may know, when thousands err. Apostate, still thou erst, nor end wilt find Of erring, from the path of truth remote: Unjustly thou depraves it with the name Of Servitude to serve whom God ordains, Or Nature; God and Nature bid the same, When he who rules is worthiest, and excels Them whom he governs. This is servitude, To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thy self not free, but to thy self enthralled; Yet lewdly dare our ministering upbraid. Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom, let me serve In Heaven God ever blessed, and his Divine Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed, Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while From me returned, as erst thou said, from flight, This greeting on thy impious Crest receive.