eats his God Not thinking how by such Religious fictions He vents these inconsistent contradictions First that our Lord behold a fatal shelf That splits their Doctrine once did eat himself That accidents taste colour outward show Should be in things and yet not subject know That the same Body is at once existent In many places from it self is distant Does at the same time rest yet truly move Is here and there below and yet above Can meet it self and then with wondrous Art Retire again and from it self depart Nor are the Lutherans indeed less out Who seek t' unty the Knot and salve the Doubt By Consubstantiation For that they With little Reason less Religion say The words This is my Body this my Blood Must in the lit'ral sense be understood Yet not the Elements chang'd They only deem The Blood and Body in or under them Nor do they this a Local Union call But Personal and Hypostatical As Christ his humane nature cannot be At all divided from the Deity And in this sense indeed the Papists may Be counted more allowable than they Whose Doctrine Christs two natures quite confounds His omnipresence and his Local bounds And by this argument as well we may Of common Bread as Sacramental say This is Christs Body since themselves declare That his divine and humane Nature are Inseparable whence where one is we Must think the other nature still will be And if his Deity all places fill His manhood not divided from it will That other practise of the Church of Rome Which will allow the Wine to only some And those the Priests is a bold Sacriledg That does the lay-communicant abridg Of half his right But Rome hath power of late What God himself hath joyn'd to separate Christ's blood to Laymen says the Priest 't is vain The body does the blood of Christ contain So Grass hath moisture in 't and therefore may The Shepheard to the Sheep when thirsty say Eat Sheep to quench your thirst if that won't do I will by Drinking do the rest for you Authentick Constance-counsel whose decree Can thus for Orthodox speak Blasphemy Be 't thus by us establisht Notwithstanding Primitive practice and Gods mouth commanding But no Non-obstance Act can supersede What in his institution Christ decreed Which was if Scriptures are be believ'd Both Bread and Wine by all to be receiv'd Question Now what 's the inward part that 's signifi'd Answer Though in the former notion I deny'd The real presence of Christ's flesh and blood As those at Capernaum understood Yet in a mystick sense both are I grant Partaken by the true Communicant And he that truly does in Christ believe Does both indéed and verily receive Question What are the benefits and graces that Receivers do hereby participate Answer Confirming grace which vig'rous strength imparts And grace of comfort to our feeble hearts For as our outward bodies by the Bread And wine which they receive are nourished So by the Body and the Blood of Christ Our inward-man is strengthned and refresht And as to temp'ral life those feed the carnal These nourish up the Soul to life Eternal Question What is required and expected front Such as to this great Wedding-Supper come Answer To come with Wedding garments trim'd and drest As suits the quality of such a feast First to examine the most inward parts And close recesses of their treach'rous hearts To try if there they find repentance true With stedfast purpose to be born anew Whether forsaking all their former Sin They do a Course of Righteousness begin The Room must first of filthy lust be clear'd And then with holy purposes prepar'd Before we must expect the Lord our guest Or dare approach his Soul-refreshing feast To this must come a lively faith and firm Such as may give the Man-of-no-man worm A confidence that God will mercy have On such as in his merits Mercy crave And to these graces next there must be joyn'd A pious thankful and Remembring mind Of Christ his death that Cursed death which he Dy'd freely from a worse to set us free In which his precious Sacred blood was shed To wash our Souls with those dear drops he bled He Gall and Vinegar drank that we might drink Rivers of pleasure that o'r-flow the brink And in a word to shame from glory fell To lift up sinful Man to Heaven from Hell And to compleat the man of God that he Furnish'd to all good works may perfect be It is requir'd that in his Soul there move An universal Charity and Love Not such a charity as does extend Only to benefactor lover friend Not such a narrow strait-lac'd love as will Requite a good turn and revenge an ill Not such half-love as can forgive and yet Will never be persuaded to forget Not such a squeamish love or rather passion As reaches not beyond its own persuasion Not that self-ended love whose only drifts In giving are to purchase greater gifts But such impartial love as deals abroad Its alms to all the images of God True objects of its Charity does chuse Gives freely looks for no return or use Such as does envy scorn revenge despise From heart forgives and prays for enemies As God himself who bids us pardon thus Both hath and will for Christ's sake pardon us This is the Card'nal grace the Axel-Pole The hinge of vertue in a Christian Soul This grace like Jacob's Scale by steps shall rise Mount up from earth and mounting reach the skies And when our faith shall be compleat in vision When hope shall be consummate in fruition Love an inhabitant in Heav'n shall prove As lasting as the God himself of Love 'T is this we stand or fall by this that brings Our Souls to Abra'ms bosome makes us Kings 'T is this that gives us Crowns which never fade Among the Spirits of Just men perfect made Who swallow'd up in joys in Heav'n above God and each other shall for ever love FINIS
up gold a God to vie For Soveraign honour with the Deity 'T was this gave pleasure an envenom'd sting Made honor death in glorious titles bring This licens'd fraud for wise and force for just And tipt loves-shafts with poison'd heads of lust So that her blessings now infected thus Good in themselves but deadly ill to us Are all but baits to catch the soul in sin Sugar without but poyson 's hid within There yet remains another dang'rous elf Which I must quit I mean my treacherous self With all my Carnal lusts though they as dear And useful as right hands or eyes appear Not one though ne're so small but out it must God never yet kept house with any lust They 'r bred of flesh corrupt that sink of evil That pimp to sin and strumpet to the Devil Like Vermin gendred in the filth and mire Of her corruption by that hellish fire Sinfully sinful in themselves as they Prompt all the powers o' th soul to disobey Make war against the soul and in her manners Advance against the Lord Rebellious banners From these the homebred foes with friendly faces Which kill with kindness murder with embraces From these and their allurements under pain Of death and hell I must resolve t' abstain That all these enemies should be forsook My sureties vow'd then further undertook I should what-ever purblind reason saith Believe all th' Articles o' th' Christian Faith Her scanty line in things divine will fail To fathom truth here she and wit must vail Thus far she may and will if manag'd duely To all faiths mysteries subscribe and truely Assent instructed thus to exercise In way of argument her faculties This Sacred Doctrine is attested by The God of truth who will not cannot lie His word 's the word of truth which does aver it Dictated by the Holy Ghost the Spirit Of saving truth my own dim sight adieu God says it and it is it must be true What though I cannot apprehend it well Though not with me with God 't is possible And where my unfledg'd wings can soar no higher I must not stand disputing but admire Lastly They vow'd I should with watchful care With awful reverence and holy fear Ev'n to the utmost of my pow'r and skill Inviolably kéep Gods holy will Compleat unsinning righteousness 't is true Though to the purity of God 't is due Yet by the frailties of our sinful nature Is ne're arriv'd at in its perfect stature But though no foot uprightly walk no hand Uprightly do the heart may upright stand And if obedience be well practic'd there It will be thought imperfect yet sincere And this sincerity will so supply All the defects of legal purity That God whose eyes could never once endure To see pollution shall account me pure Sincerely I must aim at what is best Do what I can and will to do the rest Where flesh and blood shall slip or stumble grace Must take advantage by 't and mend her pace Thus did my sureties vow I should fulfill And keep my holy Gods most holy will And that his just commands should be the ways My soul should chuse to walk in all my days Question Are you perswaded you are bound to do And to believe as they engag'd for you Answer Yes truely when they promis'd in my name I by their act oblig'd and bound became The Cov'nant betwixt God and me was made And what I could not say my self they said But I the party was i' th Covenant To whom since th' other party God did grant That grace on his part which my soul did want 'T is just I should perform with thankful heart What he requireth in the Counterpart And by Gods help I will for that must be The strengthning ayd that must enable me Without him of my self I can do nought Not think so much at best as one good thought 'T is his good Spirit and he only who Works in me both the pow'r and will to do And all unfeigned hearty thanks I give To God who thus hath given me pow'r to live My heav'nly father who vouchsafed t' enroll Into heav'ns liberty my Hell-bound soul That he hath call'd me to it doth afford Me power to be sav'd through Christ our Lord. And him I pray his pow'rful grace to send To keep me in it to my lives last end Question Faith and obedience then to Christ's commands Are the two props on which Religion stands Faith goes before as that that does beget Obedience in the heart and nourish it Perfumes and seasons it and makes it pass Accepted at the glorious throne of grace Faithless obedience is but fruitless fruit Sprung from a tree that wants both sap and root And he that works it does but build on sand An unfoundation'd house that cannot stand Let your first care be then to see the ground Whereon you build your hopes be firm and sound And this to shew be 't now your Christian lesson Of th' Articles of faith to make confession First Article S. Peter I Not another for me no mans Creed Besides my own stands me in steed Nor boots it any man that he receives And holds the faith the Church believes Unless his reason giving her assent He chose it as most excellent Believe confess rely upon and trust As holy gracious true and just In God the best the greatest first and last That being infinitely vast That great I AM first cause first mover he That was and is and is to be That God that from Eternal ages stood The highest greatest chiefest good The Fath'r of all things living by creation And by continual preservation And by Adoption father of his Sons The new-born Holy chosen ones Almighty whose unbounded pow'rful hand Did all create does all command Maker who all created beings brought Out of a Chaos out of nought Of Heaven his starrie seat that upper story Where earthly grace turns heavenly glory And Earth his footstool yet mans Royalty Mans head at Gods foot plac't stands high Second Article S. Andrew And in not any other God than he No more there are no more can be But in the second of the Vni-trine Persons transcendently divine The true God-man in whom both natures joyn'd Union but not confusion find Iesus the Saviour of the souls of men Ransom'd by him but lost till then Which name in heav'n above and earth below Calls upon every knee to bow Christ the Anointed with that oyl of gladness Which chears his fellows press'ed with sadness As King to rule us Priest in priestly guise T' attone for sin by sacrifice And Prophet to instruct and teach us how To chuse the good and evil eschew His onely Son begot by him and yet Equal to him that did beget Our Lord who bought us and the purchase stood The Purchaser his dearest blood Who are not being bought with such a price Our own by property but his Third Article S. John Who was conceiv'd not in a sinful state But
the self-poising Earth And Sea with all their several Guests Angels Men Fishes Birds and Beasts And when the Seventh took birth He took his rest and hallow'd one of sev'n Remember Christian that thou holy keep Thy Christian Sabbath-day In which the Lord of rest arose To give thee rest as also those On which the Church doth paâ— Commemorating praise for Saints that sleep Second Table Fifth Commandment Unto thy Father and thy Mother give Honor and Reverence That in the Land which God hath given To be thy Lot be 't Earth or Heav'n Thou may'st an age commence In which thou may'st long days and happy live Art thou a Subject Learn thy lawful King To honor and obey Or if thou art a Christian Sheep A Rev'rence for thy Pastor keep Or if a Servant pay Obedience to thy Lord in every thing Art thou a Wife the Churches footsteps tread Let thy Lord govern thee If poor thou be God made thee so Disdain not to the Rich to bow If a young man thou be Rise up and Reverence the hoary head Sixth Commandment Thou shalt not any kind of murther do Avoid contentious strife All fightings quarrels and upbraidings Mookings reproaches and deridings These oft endanger life And though they be not murther tend thereto Quit all revengeful thoughts those cords are strong To draw thy hand to blood And if thou hast revenge design'd Thou art a murd'rer in thy mind Vengeance in none is good But God to whom alone it doth belong Be thou to all a friend make all men thine Love to be merciful Study ambitiously for peace Let meekness love and gentleness The edge of fury dull And make thy good thy Brother's ev'l out-shine Seventh Commandment From all adultery thou shalt abstain Let Beasts do beastly deeds When men by Grace once planted flowers And water'd with Celestial showrs Degen'rate into weeds Heav'n shall on them like Sodom vengeance rain Avoid whatever tends to lust all glances From unchast wanton eyes Intemp'rate loose and idle courses Profane immodest vain discourses In which obsceneness lies And Songs that tickle with their am'rous fancies If being single thou art apt to burn Thy God gives leave to marry If marri'd then possess in honor Thy vessel fix thy love upon her Else thou wilt sure miscarry And all thy present sweets to gall shall turn Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal no kind of theft commit Upon thy Neighbours right Whether thou do his goods purloyn By means on which no Sun can shine Or open force and might 'T is theft and God shall punish thee for it Deceive not Customers in way of Trade Nor take extorting use All fraud deceit and unjust dealing Is but a finer kind of stealing And every such abuse With the reward of theft shall be repaid Use all industrious diligence in thy Calling 'T were sin to wrong thy self Give Alms to whom it does belong Where ought is due do no men wrong Thus use the worldly pelf And thou art sure to be preserv'd from falling Ninth Commandment Against thy neighbour no false witness bear By any feigned tale By base or sinister suspitions By nice or curious inquisitions Nor slily on him rail Nor false reports when rais'd against him hear If thou art call'd to swear let truth take place That ne're with blush was stain'd If ask'd a question scorn a Lye 'T is all but loss that 's got thereby What commonly is gain'd Is loss of Credit with the worst disgrace Be wisely tender of thy neighbours fame 'T is that by which he lives Which he that wounds does all he can With stabs of breath to kill the man And every stroke he gives Le ts out his life-life-Blood through his wounded Name Tenth Commandment Thy neighbours house thou shalt in no wise covet Nor for his wife shalt wish Nor for his servant man or maid Nor ox nor ass for which he paid What e're by right is his However lovely let thy Soul not love it Shun envy which by seeing others sound Will make thy bowels bleed An envious eye seeing other men Grow fat and plump it self grows lean On thy own heart it feeds And aim'd at others gives thy self the wound Where're it comes it poysons and bewitches Makes crowded bags sit scant Get thou the Jewel of Content That will be still thy complement And while Rich misers want Shall make thy narrow'st fortunes seem great Riches Question I see young Plant thou dost not only stand In Christian ground but hast by some good hand Been water'd too but 't is not both of these Can make thee thrive unless God give th' encrease 'T is easie to have learn'd these great Commands But happy he that learns and understands 'T is not enough the Tongue can do her part Unless they be engraven on the Heart If you learn only as a nat'rl man You neither know the things of God nor can Because they must be spiritually discern'd What hast thou therefore by these Precepts learn'd Answer Two gen'ral Duties one that hath regard To God the other looks my Neighbour-ward The first the former four Commandments fix The latter is compriz'd in th' other six All in two Tables written and were reckon'd Those the first Table Duties these the Second Question But will the Lord so dwell on Earth indeed As when his Greatness cannot stand in need Of Angels Service to accept the praise And honor that poor dust and ashes pays What service is it can with glory sort And yet with man's infirmity comport And what 's the Duty thou poor sorry clod Of helpless Earth art bound in toward God Answer My Duty towards God is first to place My faith and trust and hope upon his Grace Towards his Name and Majesty to bear An awful holy reverend dread and fear And to my utmost power to reflect Some beams of love on him whose every act Whose every gift and blessing from above To me bespeaks him in the abstract Love And this to do with all my heart which still Must frame th' affections to a pious will With all my mind with all its powers to learn By faith the unseen Godhead to discern With all my soul whose every motion ought To seek his Glory in each word and thought With all my strength and pow'r in which I can Dispose the inward or the outward man To worship him in Spirit whose Truth hath said He will in Spirit and Truth be worshipped To give him thanks for all good things which he Without respect of merit heaps on me To call upon him who alone can grant A plentiful supply of all I want All reverence and honor to afford Both to his holy Name and to his Word And all my days as well in age as youth To serve him in Sincerity and Truth Question Say now What duty does thy neighbour claim And who is he thou meanest by that name Answer I mean not only him whose house and mine Stand in a Street or do