[BNP/E3, 79 – 46]

“Christ” do they say “died to redeem mankind”.

It is because of this that they are so

Because Christ died, they will all to be blind

     Because he died, they wish all woe.

___

Because Christ died they mortified their powers

– At least thy did[1] but as that hurts and bothers

And seeing Faith {…}

     They took to mortifying others.

___

And at the end of both these things that ran,

Of judge and judged, of joy[2] and of distress,

What shall remain? – a coffin and a grave

     And the vile smell of rottenness.

___

Alexander Search

And all for gold, and because one {…} great {…}

Died on a cross, with thoughts upon mankind

Woe is the hand mor vile of church and state,

[46^v]

But these are grown like commas, use-blank

He God’s commandment’s thinks on so in life

That when he gave the sentence dire and rank

     His mind was on his neighbour’s wife.

This man of course was of the lower classes.

{…}

A beast, a brute. ‘Tis true that he (I say)

Was of the moles, which are distinct from asses

     In that they do not kick nor bray.

_______

The world shows well life’s battle course and {…} dire:

The slaves, the masters {…}

And priests and judges, worms of the dark mire, {…}

_______

And while famine and ignorance pollute

The conquered of this pure humanity

Judges and priests are the vile flies that loot

     On the dung-heap of property.

[1] At least thy did ^{/They did, they did\}

[2] joy ^/sin\