A discourse of the building, nature, excellency, and government of the house of God…

One Reads, he Prays, he Catechises too; But doth he nothing else, what doth he do? I Read to know my Duty, I do pray To God to help me do it day by day; If this be not my end in what I do, I am a Sot, an Hypocrite also. I am Baptized, what then? unless I dye To Sin, I cover Folly with a Lye. At the Lords Table, I do eat; what tho? There some have eat their own Damnation too.

One Reads, he Prays, he Catechises too; But doth he nothing else, what doth he do? I Read to know my Duty, I do pray To God to help me do it day by day; If this be not my end in what I do, I am a Sot, an Hypocrite also. I am Baptiz'd, what then? unless I dye To Sin, I cover Folly with a Lye. At the Lords Table, I do eat; what tho? There some have eat their own Damnation too.

I will suppose, I Hear, I Sing, I Pray, And that I am Baptized without delay, I will suppose I do much knowledge get, And will also suppose that I am fit To be a Preacher, yet nought profits me If to the first, poor I a stranger be: They are more weighty therefore; in compare, These unto them, but Mint and Anise are.¹ Not that I would the least of Duty slight, Because the least Command of Divine Right Requires that I my self subject thereto, Wilful Resisters do them selves undo. But let's keep order, let the first be first; Repent, Believe and Love; and then, I trust ⟨p. 31⟩I have that Right which is Divine, to all That is enjoined, be they great or small. Only I must as cautionary speak, In one word more, a little to the Weak; Thou must not suffer men so to enclose Thee in their Judgments, as to discompose Thee in that Faith and Peace thou hast with him; This would be like the losing of a Limb; Or like to him who thinks he doth not well, Unless he lose the Kernel for the Shell. Thou art no Captive, but a Child and Free; Thou wast not made for Laws, but Laws for thee; And thou must use them as thy light will bear it They that say otherwise, do rend and tear it; More like to wicked Tyrants, who are cruel, And add unto a little Fire, more Fuel But those who are True Shepherds of the Sheep, To quench such burnings would most gladly Weep.