Divine Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Not chance, but choice did first Apostles make;
Christ did not them at all adventures take:
But as his heavenly wisdome thought most fit,
For his own purpose, so he order'd it.
He raised not an army for to fight
And force religion, but did men invite
By gentle means; twelve of the simpler sort
Serv'd to make up his train, and kept his court;
His father could (if so he had been bent)
Have more then twelve legions of Angels sent
To wait upon him, but he was inclin'd
To put off state, and put on a meek mind;
That so the world condemned by mans pride
Might by an humble God be justified.
These twelve thus chosen were enabled too
By power divine all miracles to do,

All languages to speak, and by his word
All nations to turn unto the Lord.
Let the pretenders then unto the Spirit
Prove by the like effects, that they inherit
Th' Apostles preaching office, and we shall
Obey their voice, and hearken to their call;
But whiles they speak no language but their own,
Nor any miracles to work are knowne,
Yet take upon them the Apostles places
To teach and preach, though void of all their graces.
Have we not reason then to think, that they
Who enter not by th'door, but some back way
Into the sheep fold, and not called dare
Intrude thus boldly, no true Shepherds are,
But wolves, that under a false vizard creepe;
Not to instruct, but to devour the sheep?
But who would ever have imagined
One of Christs Colledg, which had Christ for head
And founder too, should divel turne, and be
A traitor to his master? Yet we see
One of these twelve, that could preach very wel,
And wonders work, his own deer Lord did sel
For a smal matter; thus the best of things
Corrupted once, the worst contagion brings.
What place or person can be free from vice
Which seised on man even in paradise,
Crept into heaven, and Angels caus'd to fall,
Made them and an Apostle divels all?
To gather Churches then's a vaine attempt,
As if you could have any quite exempt
From sinful men; when do what e're you can
The hypocrite wil be the holy man,
And put as good a face on't as the best:
Purge ne're so much your body, there will rest
Some noxious humours in't, some Judas wil
In spite of you, lie lurking in it stil.
Christs Church is likened by him to a field
Which tares and wheat confusedly doth yeeld,

And he commandeth us to let both grow
Together til the harvest, lest that now
By hastie separation, e're the day,
We not good husbands, but the wilde Bores play,
Rooting up both, whereas they both should stand,
And waite the weeding of the Angels hand.
You'l say, by Tares is meant the hypocrite,
Which cannot be discerned by our sight,
Being only knowne to God; and therefore we
May mix with him in our society;
Whereas the wicked is so easily known,
We may and ought shun his communion.
Why then did Christ into his fellowship
Take Judas, suffer him to kisse his lip,
Cal him by'th'name of friend, nay give him leave
The holy Sacrament for to receive;
Although he knew his heart, and all the evil
He had conceiv'd, which made him up a divel?
And so no hypocrite to Christ was he:
What shall we purer then our Saviour be?
'Tis true, the childrens bread should not be cast
To dogs, yet of the crumbs the dogs may taste;
And who knowes but the tasting of them may
Turn dogs to Christians ere they goe away?
The Word alone converts a wicked mind,
Much more the Word and Sacrament combind;
Both holy be: And if we must for bear,
To give the Sacrament to some for fear
Of profanation, Why do we dispense
The Word to all men without difference?
Or if we must not give it 'cause it may
Prove death to some that take it the wrong way;
The very same may of the Word be said,
Therefore to preach it we should be afraid
To mixed Congregations, left that some
Should worser then they were before become.
This only so falls out by accident,
'Tis neither in the Word, nor Sacrament.

God commonly by them grace on us pours,
If it prove death, the fault's not theirs, but ours.
It is the duty then of every one,
To fit himself for this communion;
And if the Minister the danger tell
Of taking it unworthily, 'tis wel;
His own soul he delivers if he do it,
Upon their peril 'tis that wil come to it.
We wish the Church invested were again
With power, notorious sinners to restraine,
And excommunicate them too; til then
We may reprove, but not correct these men:
It is our hearts desire, and we pray
That every one rightly receive it may;
And that no Judas any more may be
Admitted to this blest Society;
But this is rather to be wisht then found
In this craz'd age, where more are sick then sound.
More traitors then are faithful, twelve to one,
How can we then make separation?
For if we wil not partial be, but just,
Scarce one of twelve into our flock we must
Receive; and then how many little flocks
Wil there be of us, subject to the mocks
Of all our enemies? and whiles that each
Intends his own particular, the breach
Wil wider grow i'th' general, and we
May seek a Church, but stil to seek shal be.