Isaiah Thomas Broadside Ballads Project

Verses in Vogue with the Vulgar

On the various sects of religion: [four lines from Beza's Epigram upon Luther]

The opening quotation on this broadside is from Theodore Beza’s “Epigram upon Luther.” Beza (1519-1605) was Calvin’s successor in Geneva. Beneath are fifteen four-line verses, a couplet, and a “Conclusion,” none of which were probably intended to be sung. Like Luther, using only his pen, the author of this amusing text takes aim at many sects active in Boston in his time. By extension, he aims at Massachusetts governor Caleb Strong’s use of religion to bolster his opinions about the War of 1812 with England (see The Bulwarks of Religion).

Additional Metadata

Date

1810-1814

Place of Publication

Boston.

Publisher

Coverly, Nathaniel, 1775?-1824, printer.

Subjects

Religion
Sects
Christian life
Religious satire
Humorous poetry

First Line

Religion serves for every sect of men.

Identifiers

BIB ID: 283474
OCLC Control No.: (OCoLC)ocm81181135
OCLC Control No.: (OCoLC)ocn191464536
Ford, W.C. Thomas ballads, 196
AAS General Catalog URL: http://catalog.mwa.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=283474
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Physical Dimensions

29 x 23 cm.

Transcriptions

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Citation

“On the various sects of religion: [four lines from Beza's Epigram upon Luther],” Isaiah Thomas Broadside Ballads Project, accessed October 22, 2026, https://collections.americanantiquarian.org/thomasballads/items/show/182.