Book II, 30: On the two Children

My Flesh and Spirit, Lord, are like those payre
Of Infants, whose sad Mothers did repayre
To Iustice: T'one is quick; the other dead:
The two promiscuous Parents that doe plead
For the live Childe, is Thee and Sathan, Lord:
Both claime alike; Iustice cals forth the Sword,
And seeing both, with equall teares, complaine,
Proffers to cleave the Children both in twaine
And make them equall sharers in the same
That both doe challenge, and what both disclaime:
Sathan applaudes tho motion, and replyde;
Nor thine, nor mine, but let them both divide;
And give alike to both: But thou, deare Lord,
Dislik'st the Iustice of th'unequall Sword:
Rather then share it dead, thou leav'st to strive,
And wilt not own't at all, if not alive:
The Sword's put up, & straight condemnes the other
To be the false; calls Thee, the nat'rall Mother:
Lord of my Soule: It is but Sathans wilde,
To cheate thy bosome of thy living Childe;
Hee'd have the Question by the Sword decided,
Knowing the Soule's but dead, if once divided:
My better part is thine, and thine alone;
Take thou the Flesh, and let him gnaw the Bone: